Secrets of the Past
by August08
Summary: A year after his return to New York, Leo receives a disturbing message concerning his friends from Speedway. Determined to save them, he begs his father to tell him how to get to the island, though he may already be too late. Sequel to Need for Speed.
1. First Day Back

**A/N**: Here it is. The sequel to Need for Speed. Enjoy

**Disclaimer**: I don't own any characters relating to Turtles. However, all mentioned OCs are mine.

* * *

Everything was a mess of buzzing and pain. It hurt to breathe and it felt like he was burning from the inside out. Off in the distance he could hear sirens and people talking. Someone was saying his name, no doubt trying to get him to focus.

"Leo. Leo," the voice called. "Leo, can you still hear me?"

The fog cleared and his vision began to come back into focus. However, as soon as it had focused, he began to drift back into unconsciousness.

"Stay with me, pal," the voice buzzed. "We're almost to the hospital. Try to stay awake for a while longer."

"What happened?" Leonardo bearly managed to whisper.

"You were shot. It looks like someone already managed to get the bullet out, but we would like to be safe than sorry. You've lost a lot of blood."

_"Hang in there, Leo,"_ a woman's voice echoed in Leonardo's foggy mind. _"I've almost got it."_

The ambulance stopped and Leonardo felt the stretcher he was on being lifted out of the back.

"Let's get him to the O.R. asap."

The world faded and darkness took over. Within the darkness Leonardo began to see faces and hear voices he thought he recognized.

_"This is what I call I successful field test. Wouldn't you, kid?"_

_"That's because your mortal eyes are not trained in the art that is car building."_

_"Mikey's Welcome Wagon, at your service."_

"Try to stay awake, Leo, we're almost there," the medic insured the patient.

Leonardo moaned in pain. He wanted to go to sleep, but on the other hand he also wanted to stay awake. To keep himself from drifting off, he stared at the ceiling lights as they rushed by. The lights soon faded and darkness began to close in.

"We're ready, doctor," someone announced.

"Good. Let's finish what his rescuer started," the doctor said.

* * *

Brad paced outside of his son's hospital room. He had received a phone call informing him that Leonardo had been found on Liberty Island. It was clear that he was suffering from some kind of trauma, but he didn't know what. Leonardo had been in surgery for almost an hour when Brad arrived. Now, he was being settled into a private room.

The ex-street racer sat down in a chair opposite the door and ran his hand down his face. It had been close to four months since Leonardo had been taken. Life had quickly grown lonely. He never realized how much he would miss his son's nagging.

"Mr. Summers?"

Brad looked up. "Yes?"

"Your son is awake. You may go in and see him," the nurse replied.

Brad got to his feet and walked into the room. He made his way over to the bed. It pained him to see his son in such a state. Leonardo's eyes slowly opened and his tired features lit up in a weak smile.

"Hey, kiddo," Brad whispered. "How are ya?"

"Tired," Leonardo breathed.

Brad gently took his son's hand in his own and gave it a small squeeze. Leonardo squeezed his father's hand in return. Pain stabbed his chest and he winced. He was sent into a coughing fit.

"You're okay," Brad reassured.

Leonardo took a quick, deep breath. "Being shot stinks."

Brad smiled. "I know how you feel," he said. "I've had my fair share of gunshot wounds in the past."

Leonardo looked up at his father, his brown eyes glazed with fatigue and pain.

"Can I ask you something?" he asked.

"What?" Brad answered.

"Where did you go when you disappeared?" Leonardo wanted to know.

Brad frowned. The question didn't catch him off guard because he had been asked several times by both his wife and son. But, why Leonardo would bring that topic up now was what surprised him.

"What brought this on?"

"I've been trying to piece together a past that I've almost forgotten," Leonardo explained.

"And that's a puzzle you can solve when you're better," Brad instructed. "Right now, you need rest." He squeezed Leonardo's hand one more time and then headed for the door. "I'll be back soon."

"But..."

"No buts. Get some sleep."

Reluctantly, Leonardo settled back down. He closed his eyes and was quickly taken over by a dreamless sleep.

* * *

What do you think?


	2. Dreams and Memories

_"Brad, please think about what you're doing."_

_"Maria, we've been through this."_

_Brad pulled on his leather jacket and zipped it up. Maria, his wife, watched her husband with a worried glance. She knew his job took him to dangerous places throughout the city, but his latest assignment was nerve wracking._

_"If I don't meet Pyro tonight, all chances of finding those missing kids will vanish," he explained._

_"I know. But, please, for mine and Leo's sake, if not for your own, be safe," Maria whispered._

_Brad kissed her on the lips and smiled. "I always am," he told her. "I love you."_

_"I love you, too."_

_With a final kiss, Brad disappeared out the door. Maria didn't notice a small shadow quietly make its way up the stairs. Eleven-year-old Leonardo cautiously closed his bedroom door and slid down until he was kneeling down._

_"Some dad," Toxis spat, his still high-pitched voice burned Leonardo's ears. "He never spends time at home. Why doesn't he just leave and never come back?"_

_"Because he loves his family and he would never do that," Maddy, Toxis' polar opposite declared._

_Like Leonardo, Toxis and Maddy were little over eleven years old. It seemed that they grew along with him. And why shouldn't they? They had been a part of his mind ever since early childhood. Footsteps warned the three boys that Leonardo's mother was coming up the stairs. Leonardo jumped back in bed and buried himself under the sheets, his back facing the door. He looked up and saw his mother's shadow on the wall._

_"Sweet dreams, little ninja," Maria whispered before closing the door again._

"Mom," Leonardo breathed.

His eyes slowly opened and he found himself in a hospital room. His vision was still blurry and any kind of sound was an annoying buzz or hum. Leonardo moaned and shifted into a more comfortable position. But, as he did so, something pulled and he screamed. Instantly, he had nurses rushing into the room.

"Are you all right?" one of them asked.

"What happened?" another wanted to know.

Leonardo put his hand to his chest and felt the bandage that was tightly wrapped around his torso.

"Pulled stitches," the first nurse announced. "You have to be careful when moving, otherwise you'll break the wound open again."

"What are you talking about?" Leonardo asked.

"You were shot," the second nurse replied.

The room suddenly disappeared and was replaced with a dark chamber. He was standing behind what seemed to be a one-way mirror. A flame-haired young man was standing beside him and they were looking out at four others. One was chained to two poles, one was holding a rob and would hit the chained man every now and then, another one was on the floor and the last had a gun to the kneeling person's head. The man who was chained up said something, then the man with the gun turned towards the mirror and pulled the trigger.

Leonardo blinked back to reality. The nurses were looking at him with worried expressions.

"Do you want us to call the doctor?"

"No. I'm fine," Leonardo insisted. "I'm just tired."

"We'll let you rest."

The nurses walked out of the room and closed the door. Leonardo sank further down into the pillow and tried to make sense of what he just saw. It seemed so real and familiar, like he had been there before. Leonardo closed his eyes and sighed. A thick fog had clouded his mind, blocking his senses.

_If sensei were here, he'd tell me that I was out of practice. "Clear your mind" he would always tell me. "A focused mind yields to a focused spirit" or something like that._

He heard voices outside the door.

"Go right in."

The door opened. Leonardo opened his eyes to see who had entered. Three very familiar people came into the room.

"Hey," he greeted.

"Hey, Leo," Trek said, hurrying over to the bed.

"Long time no see," Lyle added.

"Why to disappear on us," Natalia playful scolded.

Leonardo smiled. "Sorry," he apologized.

Trek shook his head. "What are we gonna do with ya?" he asked, pulling up a chair and sitting down on it backwards.

Leonardo carefully pushed himself up into a sitting position. Natalia helped move his pillow to keep him up straight.

"Thanks."

"No problem."

Lyle and Natalia found two more chairs and sat down.

"So, where did you disappeared off to?" Trek began the interrogation once Leonardo was comfortable.

A sly smirk crept across Summers' lips. "Racer's paradise," he replied.

* * *

The four friends talking non-stop for most of the afternoon. Leonardo told his friends stories he didn't know he knew. It was like he was taking them from another person's memory. But, as he replaced certain events, the more he realized that he had actually lived them.

"Blue, I'm jealous," Lyle said.

"It's Wave," Leonardo corrected.

"What?" Trek asked.

"That's my racing name. Wave," Leonardo repeated.

"Wave? Where did you get that?" Natalia asked.

"Remember what I was telling you about the Water Works? Well, that place did_ not_like me one bit. Every chance it got it threw water at me. So, people thought it would be funny to nickname me 'Wave'. And, I've been going by that name ever since the qualifer."

_"Seriously? Mikey, you never told him?"_

_"Why else would he be here?"_

_"What qualifer?"_

_"Honestly? It's the most nightmarish race you'll ever drive in your life."_

Leonardo looked down at the sheets. "I hope they're okay," he whispered.

Just then, someone knocked on the door.

"Leo, you have another visitor," the nurse said.

Leonardo's eyes brightened when he saw who it was.

"Mom!"

Trek and Lyle moved over to where Natalia was to give Maria some room to greet her son.

"How are you?" she asked, giving Leonardo hug.

"I'm great. What are you doing here?" Leonardo asked, sitting back.

"Your father called me yesterday and told me that you were in the hospital," Maria explained. "I was on the first flight to New York the same day."

"Where's Dad, now?"

"Out in the hall."

"Why doesn't he come in?"

"He's talking to one of the doctors."

"Oh."

Trek, Lyle and Natalia got up.

"We better get goin'," Trek said.

"See ya tomorrow," Natalia and Lyle chimed.

The three friends headed out of the room. Maria sat down in one of the spare chairs and relaxed. Leonardo tapped his fingertips together.

"Mom, did you and Dad know anyone by the name of Pyro?" he asked.

Maria turned a shocked looked at her only child. "Why do you ask?"

"For the past four months I've been having dreams about when I was a kid. The first one was about the accident. Then, as time went on they swayed towards childhood."

"What were some of the dreams?" Maria asked.

"When I first began to hear..._them_," Leonardo answered. "Then, just before Trek, Lyle and Natalia came, I had one about the night Dad disappeared." He looked at his mother. "In the dream Dad mentioned someone named Pyro. What bothers me, is the fact that I know someone that goes by the same name. I don't know if it's the same person or not."

"It depends on what his real name is," Brad put in as he walked into the room.

Leonardo swallowed hard. "I...don't...remember his real name, at the moment," he added quickly. "But, when I do, will you tell me?"

Brad crossed his arms. "When you get back on your feet. And if I decide you're ready to know, then I will tell you."

Leonardo growled under his breath. All his life he had been kept in the dark, and it was really annoying him. Maria patted his hand and got to her feet.

"We'll be back to see you some time tonight," she said, kissing the top of Leonardo's head.

"Get some rest," Brad added before they left.

Again, Leonardo growled. He saw movement in the corner of his eye.

"The nerve of them keeping secrets from you. They think you're still an infant."

"If they saw me four months ago they would change their minds," Leonardo muttered.

"I couldn't agree with you more," Toxis said.

Leonardo looked over at him. Something was different about Toxis that he couldn't figure out. Maybe it was the fact that Maddy wasn't around. It was strange, but relaxing at the same time. He no longer had Maddy nagging him to think about what he was doing. Leonardo looked towards the door.

"When I get out of here I'll show Father that I'm not a kid, anymore," he vowed.

He didn't notice the evil smirk that crossed Toxis' lips, or the slow change from green to red of his eyes.

* * *

Let me know what you think.

Reviews, yes. Flames, no.


	3. Obsolete

**A/N**: Thanks to everyone who has read and reviewed.

* * *

The keys rattled in the lock and after a couple of seconds of fighting with the door handle, Brad finally managed to open the front door. He stepped to the side to allow his ex-wife and son to go in before him.

"Brad, you really need to replace that door handle," Maria commented.

Leonardo looked around the front porch. The house was so familiar, yet strangely foreign. Without a word, he headed upstairs and walked into his room. Everything was as he had left it four months earlier. His electric guitar still sat on his bed from where he had been practicing on that fateful day. He went over to the bed and picked up the guitar.

"It'll take some getting used to, I'm sure," Brad said, coming into the room.

"You always knew I wasn't arrested because of that chase," Leonardo replied, turning to face his father.

"I knew where you really were," Brad agreed.

"And you didn't do anything to stop Pyro."

Toxis lay on the bed, his hands behind his head, and grinned evilly. It was fun being the evil one.

"Why didn't you stop him?" Leonardo asked.

"Because you needed to learn how to live again," Brad answered. "Before the accident you were never afraid to take risks. In the days that followed the accident it was like a part of you had died. You became more responsible and less daring. You were no longer yourself; not knowing what it meant to relax and have fun. I didn't stop Pyro because I knew he'd be the one to bring you out of your shell."

Brad walked out of the room and headed downstairs. Leonardo sat down on the bed and stared out the door. Toxis sat up and shifted into a more comfortable position.

"Unfortunately, he's got a point," he commented. "You really weren't that much fun after the accident. I became extremely bored with you always listening to Maddy. You whoppin' O'Connell's butt back in Speedway was the most fun I had in years."

"It did feel good to hold a katana again," Leonardo agreed.

"Stop it," Maddy said, suddenly appearing. "Stop it right there. You know what happened the last time you listened to Toxis. You nearly killed one of your best friends."

Toxis jumped off the bed. "Of course he knows what happened the last time he listened to me. He got to hold a sword again. That's why I'm the strongest."

Maddy looked over at Leonardo. The look in his host's eyes scared him. "Leo, please. For once, ignore Toxis."

Leonardo got to his feet, placed the guitar on the bed and walked over to the closet. He opened the door and took out a leather sheath. He pulled the katana out of the sheath and examined the blade.

"What are you going to accomplish by doing this?" Maddy asked.

"Oh, shut up," Toxis barked. "It's too late, baby brother. He's mine."

* * *

It felt good to get out of the house. Granted, he had to sneak out while his parents were asleep, but it was refreshing nonetheless. And watching the police show up to a crime scene minutes after he had already taken care of the problem made even better.

"Those punks never stood a chance," Toxis praised.

Leonardo watched as the police shoved the would-be thieves into the back of a car. His eyes narrowed.

"I shouldn't have had to do it," he said.

"What do you mean?" Toxis asked.

"I shouldn't be the one to take down street thugs. That's the job of the police," Leonardo explained.

Toxis placed a hand on his shoulder. "Leo, it took them twenty minutes to get here. It took you twenty_ seconds_. Who's more capable of taking down these low-lives? The person with the better skills. The police are obsolete. They don't care."

Leonardo tightened his fist. Toxis was right. He could take out criminals faster than the police could keep up. Without another word to Toxis, Leonardo took off.

"Where are you going?" Toxis asked, appearing beside Leonardo.

"You're right, Toxis. The police _are_ obsolete. And when something has become obsolete you replace it. Replace it with something that does the job better than what you were using before."

"I like the way you think."

Leonardo jumped down on to a fire escape and hopped down into an alley. Toxis appeared beside him. Leonardo pulled out his twin katanas and slipped into the shadows. A few seconds later a young woman walked into the alley.

"I don't think she's much of a threat," Toxis pointed out.

Leonardo held up a hand and pointed to the mouth of the alley. Toxis looked to where he was pointing and saw two men enter the alley. Leonardo then pointed to the back alley. Three men walked out of the shadows. The woman stopped in her tracks. Toxis smirked, his eyes growing a darker shade of red. His recklessness transferred to Leonardo in the form of anger. One of the men made a move and that's when Leonardo sprang. The woman screamed when one of the men grabbed her.

"Show time," Toxis said.

Leonardo slammed into two of the attackers, sending them to the ground. Two of the other men charged. Leonardo turned around and ducked as one of them swung a pipe at his head. The teen swung his swords and sliced the pipe in two. He then sent the man flying into his comrade.

"Make another move and she dies," the fifth man threatened, holding a knife to the woman's throat.

Leonardo tightened his grip on his swords. His eyes went from the woman to the man holding her. He reminded Leonardo of Jake.

"About time you got here, Toxis," the boy said.

Toxis frowned, his eyes shifting back to a dull green. The man hesitated.

"Kindly show this man what happens when you threaten innocent women," Leonardo instructed.

"Leo, he can't..."

The man turned around, dropping his guard and giving Leonardo an opening. A couple of seconds later the last of the attackers went down.

"I'd get out of here, if I were you," Leonardo told the woman, putting his swords away. "Before they wake up."

And with that, he disappeared up the fire escape. Toxis didn't move right away. He stared at the scene before him. Maddy had always told him he was going to cause major damage someday. Toxis looked down at his hands. They were shaky uncontrollably. Somehow, the energy that flowed through him felt strangely familiar.

_I haven't felt like this since Leo was spiked._

* * *

Let me know what you think.

Review: yay. Flames: nay.


	4. Back to School

Like everything else, it felt weird to go back to school, even though he had only missed four months. Trek, Lyle and Natalia had been kind in giving him the work that he had missed. And what had taken them days to finish, only took Leonardo a matter of hours. In little under a week he had caught up and was now ahead of everyone in his classes.

"Is that really our Leo?" Lyle asked quietly as Leonardo wizzed through a Math assignment.

"I don't know anymore," Trek confessed. "He's a completely different person."

Natalia rubbed her arm as if it hurt. The guys noticed the motion.

"You okay?" Trek asked.

"I'm fine," Natalia answered. "Why wouldn't I be?"

Trek frowned. He got to his feet. "I'm going for a walk. Wanna come?"

Lyle and Natalia nodded and also stood up.

"Wanna come, Leo?" Trek asked.

"I'm busy," was all Leonardo said.

The three friends headed out of the cafeteria.

"So, are you gonna tell us why you're always wearing long-sleeves nowadays?" Trek asked.

Natalia rubbed her arm again. "Leo changed while he was gone," she began.

"We already knew that," Lyle told her.

"But, did you know that he hits me if I 'talk out of line'?" Natalia asked.

"He what?" Trek and Lyle exclaimed.

Natalia pulled up her sleeve, revealing a large bruise on her forearm. The guys looked at each other as their friend pulled her sleeve down again.

"I don't know what's gotten into Leo, but I want it out," Natalia said.

* * *

When Leonardo walked through the door, Brad was just getting off the phone. The look on his father's face told Leonardo that he was in trouble. However, he wasn't worried. He was heading upstairs when Brad stopped him.

"Hold on, Leo. I have to talk to you."

"Now?"

"Yes, now. Get down here."

Growling, Leonardo made his way back down the stairs and over to where his father was waiting.

"What?" he asked.

Brad tossed Leonardo his jacket. "We're leaving."

He grabbed the car keys and headed out the door. Leonardo pulled on his jacket and followed his father out to the car. Without a word to his son, Brad started the car and drove off. Leonardo stared out of the window. He vaguely remembered being in someone`s car and driving to the hospital.

_"Sooner or later they end up in the place they hate the most."_

_Pyro was telling me that the place_ he _hated most was in the Watch Tower._

"We're here," Brad announced.

Leonardo blinked back to reality. They were parked outside a martial arts school. Brad got out of the car, followed by Leonardo. They made their way inside. Leonardo looked around. He had been here years ago when he was a kid.

"Summers-san, it is good to see you again."

Leonardo turned towards the sound of the voice. Brad was bowing to one of the teachers.

"It's good to see you too, Master Splinter."

Leonardo blinked in surprised. He could feel Maddy's excitement run though him.

"Master Splinter," the hyper twin said with glee.

All the students, and even some of the other martial arts teachers, called him Splinter. He was the fastest and most skilled teacher and fighter the school had employed. He was named Splinter for the simple fact that he could split anything in half. He was the favorite teacher of every child and parent that had ever walked through the doors. His gift was martial arts, his specialty was beating out the bad attitudes of his students. It was another reason why parents always asked for Splinter when signing up their problem child.

"Does he honestly think that old fossil is going to do anything?" Toxis asked, crossing his arms, his eyes turning back to red.

"Aren't you happy to see Master Splinter? It's been ages since we've seen him," Maddy said.

"I couldn't care less," Toxis admitted.

Splinter turned to Leonardo and smiled. "Hello again, Leonardo. It has been awhile," he said.

"Not long enough, if you ask me," Toxis muttered.

Leonardo managed a stiff bow, which rewarded him with a strange look from his old teacher.

"It would seem that you have been out of practice for quite some time," Splinter noted.

"He wouldn't be sayin' that if he had seen what Leo almost did to O'Connell," Toxis put in.

Splinter turned back to Brad. "When would you like him to begin?" he asked.

"As soon as possible, if it's okay," Brad answered.

"Wait...what?" Leonardo demanded. "You don't actually expect me to start training again, do you?"

In a split second, Splinter was behind Leonardo and had him on the floor before he knew what was happening.

"You could block that attack at one point," Splinter said. "You are out of practice. And, perhaps we will be able to get rid of that commanding tone in your voice." He hit Leonardo in the back of the head with his walking stick. "It would seem that you have been bitten by an extremely venomous viper."

"What's that old coot talkin' about?" Toxis demanded.

"He's taking about you and Bishop," Maddy spat. "Bishop's the viper and you're the venom."

Leonardo rubbed his head. "What was that for?" he asked.

Splinter hit him again. Brad didn't do anything to stop it. He felt like hitting his son a number of times since he returned from Speedway. Leonardo reminded Brad too much of his old police partner.

"You may go, Summers-san," Splinter said. "There is much work to be done and I would like to start right away."

"Thank you, Master Splinter. See you in a few hours, Leo."

Brad walked out of the school. Leonardo rubbed his sore head. This was going to be a nightmare. Unfortunately, he was powerless to stop it.

"Now, let us begin your training," Splinter said.

He started for a vacant dojo. Leonardo got to his feet and, still rubbing his head, followed his old sensei. The same thought past through Leonardo's, Toxis' and Maddy's mind. However, Maddy was the only one who wasn't being sarcastic.

_This is going to be fun._

* * *

Let me know what you think.

Reviews are welcome, flames are useless.


	5. It Starts

Leonardo dropped to his knees, gasping for breath. His body ached and it hurt to breathe.

"You are more out of practice than I thought," Splinter noted.

"Would you stop saying that?" Leonardo snapped.

He received yet another hit to the head, which made his headache grow even more. That had been the tenth time Splinter had whacked him.

"I think he's trying to tell you something," Maddy put in.

Leonardo glared at him. _You are enjoying this_ way _too much,_ he silently scolded.

Maddy grinned, as if reading his mind. When he smiled, a golden tanned face flashed in Leonardo's mind. Dirty blonde hair fell over crystal blue eyes.

_"Mikey's Welcome Wagon at your service."_

Leonardo shook his head, pushing away the memory. That had been in a different life. What happened on the island didn't matter now.

"Again," Splinter ordered.

"We've been at this for hours," Leonardo moaned.

"It is only early."

Leonardo glanced at his watch. "It's almost midnight!" he cried.

"And we will be here until I say training is over," Splinter declared. "Now, attack me."

"Gladly," Leonardo and Toxis growled under their breath.

Summers grabbed his fallen sword and got to his feet. He charged at Splinter. With great ease, the ninja master dodged the swings. A smile slowly crept across his face, which made Leonardo even more annoyed. His attacks became more aggressive. Sensing that trouble was on the way, Splinter danced around his student and kicked the back of his knees, effectively knocking him to the floor.

"That is enough for today," Splinter announced. "We will continue tomorrow morning at six o'clock."

"But, tomorrow's Saturday," Leonardo voiced.

"Which gives us the entire day to train," Splinter told him. "Be here by five o'clock for meditation."

"Medi...oh, why don't you just run me through with the sword?"

Splinter opened the dojo doors and Brad walked in.

"Looks like someone's ready for his bed," he teased.

"His lesson begins at five o'clock tomorrow morning," Splinter explained.

Brad whistled. "Early day tomorrow," he said.

"You're trying to kill me," Leonardo accused.

Brad pulled his son to his feet and led him out to the car. Splinter watched as the car disappeared into the darkness.

That boy is just as hard as when I first began to train him. However, now, it is a new hardness. One that has been caused by someone I have not seen in years.

* * *

Five o'clock was more like a death sentence than the beginning of a lesson. During meditation, Splinter had to hit his student a number of times to wake him up.

"You used to be my most gifted and most disciplined student."

"Things change, Master Splinter."

"True. But, that is no excuse to become lazy and neglect your training."

Leonardo rubbed his tired eyes. He glanced at his watch. It was almost five thirty. He covered his mouth to hide a yawn, but failed.

"Perhaps we will begin training now," Splinter said, getting to his feet. "We will start at the beginning."

Toxis slapped his hand over his eyes. "This is torture!" he cried. "What's this fossil tryin' to do? Kill us?"

"Possibly," Leonardo muttered under his breath.

"What was that, Leonardo?" Splinter asked.

"Nothing, sensei," the student answered quickly.

_"A word of advice. Don't blurt out anythin' unless someone says something to ya. Ya keep doin' that and people might think you're talkin' to yourself."_

Leonardo shook his head. _Another lifetime,_ he told himself.

Splinter finished setting up and turned to his student. "Now then. Let us begin."

* * *

The entire day was dedicated to entry level techniques. Balance, punching, kicking, basic stuff. However, Leonardo found that he had difficulty even with the basics.

_Maybe Splinter was right. Maybe I _am_ out of practice._

At lunch time Splinter told Leonardo that he could take a break. As soon as the words had been said Leonardo was out the door and heading for the courtyard. And that was where he had been for the past forty-five minutes. The spray from the fountain cooled his warm skin and the second bottle of water that he had bought quenched his thirst. Out of all the students that were in the courtyard, he was the oldest. Strangely, he didn't feel out-of-place.

_I used to spend countless hours meditating in this courtyard with Splinter when I first began training,_ Leonardo mused._ I never wanted to go home. I always wanted to stay with Splinter. He was like a second father to me. Especially after Dad disappeared. If it wasn't for Splinter I would still be in the mental ward._

_"Kid, ya gotta learn how to relax."_

Leonardo shook his head and buried his face in his hands. No matter how hard he tried, he could never get rid of those memories.

"Why can't I get rid of them?" Leonardo mumbled.

"Have you ever considered that you're not meant to get rid of them?" Maddy asked, tapping Leonardo on the top of his head.

Leonardo rubbed his head, when he was actually brushing away Maddy's hand.

"Another thing I can't rid of," he hissed.

He checked his watch. It was almost time to go back in. He finished his drink, threw the bottle into a recycling bin and headed back to the dojo. He was half way there when his cell phone rang. It had almost been a month since he got back to New York and his phone had never gone off once. He figured he had scared off Lyle, Trek and Natalia due to the fact that they never called anymore. So, who would be calling him now? Leonardo opened his phone. A text message popped up. However, all that was in it was a phone number. Not recognizing the number and thinking that it was someone's idea of a joke, Leonardo deleted the message and headed for the dojo.

* * *

Let me know what you think.


	6. A Desperate Plea

**A/N**: Sorry for the delay. To make it up to you, here's the next chapter. Enjoy.

* * *

"Happy birthday to you. Happy birthday to you. Happy birthday, dear Leo. Happy birthday to you," Trek and Lyle sang, both extremely off key.

"Yay," Natalia cheered, clapping.

Maria placed a cake in front of her son. There was a flash as the camera snapped a picture.

"Dad, please," Leonardo said, blinking away the dots he was now seeing.

"Lighten up, son. It's been a while since we've been together for your birthday," Brad pointed out, placing the camera on the kitchen table.

"Make a wish," Natalia chimed.

Leonardo looked down at the flickering candles, then over to the calendar that hung on the wall. Tomorrow would mark the one year anniversary of his abduction. It was hard to believe that it had already been a year since the events that happened in Speedway. It felt like a dream. Leonardo looked back at the candles.

_I wish I knew whether or not Raph, Don, Mike and Slick are okay._

With one blow, the candles went out. Trek, Lyle and Natalia clapped and cheered as Maria began cutting the cake. Brad went over to the chain cabinet, opened a drawer and took out a brown envelope. He went back to the table and held it out.

"This came in the mail for you last week," he said.

Leonardo took the package. All that was on it was his name and address. There was nothing that gave away the identity of the sender. Curious, Leonardo opened the envelope and turned it upside down. A thin, leather bound book fell into his hand. He put the envelope on the table and opened the book. He took in a quick, deep breath. In the middle of the first page was a picture of April, Casey, and the four brothers under the Race Track sign. The caption above the picture read, "Welcome to Speedway". He flipped over to the next page and laughed. Both pages were filled with pictures and captions describing what was happening in each picture. Some photos had been taken at the beach, in someone's apartment, at the Race Track or at Donatello's garage.

"These are the guys you told us about, right?" Lyle asked.

"Uh huh," Leonardo replied.

"What's up with him?" Trek asked, pointing to a picture of Michelangelo and Leonardo.

In the picture Michelangelo was wielding a cardboard tube as if it were a sword. He was pointing at some random spot behind Leonardo. The caption read, "Mikey fighting one of Leo's 'imaginary friends'".

"Does that mean..."

"Yeah, Trek," Leonardo cut in.

"They came back?" Trek whispered.

"It was amusing seeing Mikey trying to fight them off. Maddy actually played along," Leonardo explained. He noticed his parent's worried expressions. "I had medication," he told them. "After I told Raph he took me to the hospital and got a prescription. However, on the day that this picture was taken, Mikey asked me not to take any because he wanted to 'meet' Toxis and Maddy."

"It looks like you're pretending that someone's choking you," Natalia pointed out.

"Yeah. To me, Maddy grabbed me and pretended to choke me," Leonardo explained. "I was surprised at how accurate Mikey's aim was. Of course he had to rely on me to tell him if he had hit the target or not."

"Did he?" Lyle wanted to know.

Leonardo went back to the book, but nodded. He continued to flip through the pages. Half way through, the pictures turned to the racing side of Speedway. Most of the pictures were from cameras that had been placed throughout the city and throughtout the Waste Lands, Ring of Fire and the Water Works. Leonardo laughed when he came across a picture of him trying to outrun a massive tidal wave.

"You were right. That place _did_ have it in for you," Trek said.

On the next page were pictures of each racer beside his car. Leonardo was leaning against the roof of his white water Ferrari. Donatello was looking up from under the hood of his machine painted EVO. Michelangelo was sitting on the roof of his tiger stripped Elise. And, Raphael had his back against the driver's side door with his arms and ankles crossed. "The Speed Demons" was what the caption said.

Leonardo felt his eyes burn. Tears began to form. He wiped them away and turned to the last page. The last picture was of the four adopted brothers in a wrestling match. The picture had been taken on the roof of Donatello's apartment building. Water guns lay discarded on the ground, indicating that there had been a water fight. The young men were all soaking wet, but were also laughing to kill themselves. The caption underneath read, "Brothers Forever". Leonardo felt a hand squeeze his shoulder.

"Leo, whatever happened after you came back wasn't your fault," Brad said. "Don't punish yourself for something that was out of your control."

"If I hadn't had gone they would still be okay," Leonardo whispered.

"If you hadn't had gone, none of this would've happened," his father argued, tapping the book. "You going to Speedway was probably the best thing that had ever happened to you, Donatello, Michelangelo or Raphael."

"I came back worse than when I left."

Brad stepped back, his eyes seemed to darken. "Someone else is to blame for that," he said.

Leonardo looked up at him. "Who?" he asked.

Maria cleared her throat. "Now is not the time for that sort of talk. We can discuss that later."

"Yeah. It's cake time," Lyle voiced.

Everyone laughed. Maria put a piece of cake on separate plates and handed them out. Between chews, Lyle and Trek argued about who was going to win the cup this year. Brad and Maria went to a different part of the kitchen and began talking, while Natalia and Leonardo sat quietly and ate their cake. After a while, Leonardo's cell phone began to vibrate. He reached in his jeans pocket and took out his phone. Once again, it was a text with an unknown phone number as the message. He had lost count of how many of these messages he had received over the last few months, and every time he had just deleted it. However, before Leonardo had the chance to hit "delete" another message came up. This one made him stop. In capital letters and practically screaming at him was...

"HELP US!"

* * *

Let me know what you think.

Reviews are welcome, flames will be terminated.


	7. Confessions of a Street Racer

Rain poured from the heavens, drenching everything it touched. Speedway had become a depressing place to live, but there was nothing anyone could do. It wasn't like they could simply leave. In fact, the only person who knew how to escape was Raphael, and he had been missing for almost a year. The city was still crawling with police, so racing of any kind was out of the question. In a sixth story apartment, a very bored Slick stared out the window at the rain. Ever since the incident in the Chamber he hadn't set foot back in his own apartment. Over the last year he had been living with April and Casey.

_When did this go so horribly wrong?_ he wondered.

He glanced down at his silent cell phone. When was Leonardo going to get the hint and call? Slick knew that Summers could be curious at times, so playing on that curiosity, Slick had sent him his cell phone number. Apparently, it was going to take a lot more than just a number. Sighing, Slick picked up his phone and began the process he could now do in his sleep. After putting in his phone number, Slick hint "send". Seconds after, Casey stumbled into the apartment.

"Casey!" Slick exclaimed.

He ran over to Jones and caught him before he fell. April came out of the bedroom and hurried over to help Slick put Casey on the couch.

"Stay with me, Case," Slick said.

"What happened?" April asked.

Casey tried to catch his breath. "This place...is worse than...New York for street gangs," he gasped.

"Street gangs?" April and Slick echoed.

Casey lay down and closed his eyes. Slick took out his phone, quickly typed something and sent the message. If that didn't make Leonardo call, nothing would. Before the message was sent, April saw what the text said. In capital letters was...

"HELP US!"

* * *

"You're not seriously thinking about calling?" Toxis said.

Leonardo quickly dialed in the number and placed the phone to his ear.

"You _are _seriously thinking about calling," Toxis corrected himself.

Leonardo nervously drummed his fingers against his desk. As the rings continued, he grew more nervous. Finally someone answered.

"About time."

"Slick?" Leonardo asked, causing Toxis and Maddy to stiffen.

"Glad to see you still remember me," Slick said.

"How can I forget the guy who tried to punch me out for talking to his girlfriend?" Leonardo joked.

Slick laughed. "Those were the days," he mumbled.

"How are things on your end?" Leonardo wanted to know, failing to hide his worried tone.

"Sorry I scared ya like that. But, we really do need your help over here."

Leonardo sat down on his bed. "What's wrong?"

"What _isn't_ wrong?" Slick corrected. "Speedway's gone downhill ever since you left. Dude, you scared me when you got shot."

"I remember hearing you calling me, but I couldn't answer," Leonardo explained.

On the other end, Slick ran his fingers through his hair. "Well, I'm just glad that April managed to get the bullet out in time."

_"It looks like someone already managed to get the bullet out."_

"That was April?" Leonardo asked after a moment of silence.

"Donny wasn't the only certified M.E. in the group," Slick pointed out. "April's a certified nurse."

Leonardo took a deep breath. "Seems like I've been lucky in running into a lot of medics these days."

He picked up his guitar and strummed the strings. There was silence on both lines for a couple of minutes. Finally, Leonardo managed to get up the nerve to ask the question that had been bugging him.

"How are Raph, Mike and Don?" He could've sworn Slick broke down. "Slick?"

"I don't know what's happened to them," Slick confessed. "Mikey and Don are practically dead to this world, it's like they're brainwashed or something. As for Raph..." He trailed off. "I haven't seen my brother since we both went down after Jake pulled the trigger."

"What?" Leonardo exploded.

Slick tried to keep his breathing steady. His hands began to shake. "After Casey took ya away in the body bag...after I managed to free myself...after I finally got out of that room, Raph was gone. I don't know where he is, no one has heard anything from him, and if they have they're not telling. Leo, ya gotta come back."

"How?" Leonardo asked.

Slick shrugged. "Your dad's the Speedway expert. Ask him," he said.

"What do you mean?" Leonardo demanded.

"I gotta go. April's callin'."

The line went dead. Leonardo looked at the phone for quick second then slapped it shut. Toxis and Maddy stared at him as if waiting for an explanation. Without saying a word, Leonardo got up and headed downstairs. His mother was cleaning up the kitchen while his father, Natalia, Trek and Lyle lazed about in the living room. Brad turned away from the television when he heard his son coming down the stairs.

"Feeling better, Leo?" he asked.

"How do you know about Speedway?" Leonardo demanded.

All eyes turned to him. The question seemed to have caught Brad off guard. He was silent for a few moments. Maria came out of the kitchen when she heard the mention of Speedway.

"Why do you ask?" Brad finally spoke.

"I need to know," Leonardo answered.

"Leo," Maria began.

Brad held up a hand. "It's okay, Maria," he interrupted. "He deserves to know."

Shifting into a more comfortable position, Brad began to tell the secret he had kept from his family for so long.

"I spent most of my police career doing undercover work. The street gangs were usually my assignment. Especially the street racing ones. I won their trust by beating their top racers," Brad explained.

"So,_ that's_ why you're so big in the street racing business," Trek put in.

"Uh huh. However, all good things come to an end," Brad went on. "Teenagers started disappearing from various parts of the States. By the time it hit New York I had already established an informant within a well known racing gang."

"Was his name Raphael, by any chance?" Leonardo guessed.

"His street name was Pyro. Gave 'im that name myself," Brad said.

"How did he become your informant?" Lyle asked.

Brad shifted again. "The kid was on his way to a correction center when I stopped the men who were taking him there. Pyro was one person you never wanted to meet in a dark alley." He sighed. "I knew the kid needed help, but I also knew that he was the best of the best. I saw his file. I don't who's more impressive, Leo. You or him."

"What does that mean?" Leonardo asked, finally sitting down.

"It means, is that he's one rank away from ninja master," Brad answered.

Trek whistled. "Awesome."

"If he was studying ninjitsu, then why was he in Speedway?" Leonardo wondered out loud.

"Because I asked him," his father replied. He sighed again. "I had an idea of who was behind the disappearences, but I couldn't do anything without solid proof. So, I asked Raphael to infiltrate another racing gang, earn their trust, make friends with the big shots in the group, that sort of thing. Naturally, he couldn't wait to get to work. He said he always wanted to be an undercover cop, but due to his attitude problem they wouldn't even let him apply. However, he didn't mind not having any police training, said that his ninja was better. Plus, he liked the idea of not having to follow any rules. He knew what was at stake should anyone within the gang find out, he just didn't like the weight of the badge."

Leonardo couldn't help but smile. That sounded like the Raphael he knew. There was silence for a few minutes, then Brad continued the story.

"We were at it for three years before something happened," he spoke. "It was around your tenth birthday, Leo. The first member of Raphael's gang disappeared. I didn't know if Pyro was excited or scared, it was hard to tell. As soon as it happened he called me."

"I sort of remember that," Leonardo admitted, his voice low as if he was speaking more to himself than his father.

"I remember that all too well," Maria put in. "But, it couldn't be helped."

"What happened next?" Lyle asked. Natalia hit him. "What?"

Smiling, Brad continued. "The disappearances continued with still no real lead as to who was behind it. Then, members from the gang I was in began to vanish. Everyone was in an uproar. And then..." His smile faded, his eyes dimmed and he became silent.

"Then Raph disappeared," Leonardo mumbled.

Brad nodded. "I was on my way to meet Pyro when I got a call from the chief telling me that the informant I hired didn't show up for work. Of course, I told him that it was a mistake and that Raphael always showed up on time to avoid suspicion. However, when I got to the place where he was last sighted all I found was an empty car and a busted cell phone. After that the chief closed the case. The trail went cold. On the bright side I got to spend more time with my family."

"Until Raph came back," his son put in. "When you found out he was back you went to find him, asked where he had been, he told you, you disappeared for three years."

"In a nut shell," Maria agreed.

"And then after three years of being gone you came back. And need I remind you of what happened then?" Leonardo asked, crossing his arms.

"Leo," Maria started.

"It's okay," Brad told her. "That accident was partially my fault."

"As well as Raph's," Leonardo added. Natalia, Lyle and Trek looked at him. "I lost my father twice to that guy. First when he took you to Speedway, the second when he crashed into our truck."

"Leonardo," Maria warned.

"It's alright, Maria," Brad said. "He's right. I asked Raphael to take me to Speedway, and he did crash into the truck. However, I believe that second one wasn't entirely his fault."

"He was behind the wheel. How could it _not_ be his fault?" Leonardo demanded.

"I believe it was staged by Bishop," Brad answered.

Leonardo blinked in confusion. "Bishop?" he echoed. "How do you know Bishop?"

Irony shone in his father's gaze.

"John Bishop is my old police partner."

* * *

Let me know what you think. No flames, please.


	8. More Secrets Revealed

**A/N**: Thanks to everyone who has read and reviewed.

* * *

"He's your_ what_?" Leonardo stammered.

"We were police partners," Brad repeated. "And the best of friends growing up."

Leonardo was lost for words. How could his father have worked with the very man who tried to kill him? And on top of that, best friends? How was it even possible? Leonardo fell into the recliner, causing it to rock back and forth.

"Hard to believe, isn't it?" Brad asked.

"And here I thought I've heard everything," Leonardo muttered.

Brad laughed, then sighed. By this time, Maria had joined her ex-husband on the couch. She didn't seemed bothered by the statement he had just given.

"How?" was all Leonardo could manage.

"John wasn't always like he is now," Brad began. "When we were kids we always said we would join the police force together. And we did. When we graduated from university we applied for the force, which accepted us both."

"Why do I get the feeling that Bishop specialized in genetics while in university?" Leonardo asked.

"Maybe because he did," Brad confirmed. "Anyway, the years went on, work was normal, I eventually met your mother, we had you..."

"And Bishop went insane," Maria muttered.

"Come again?" the four teenagers chimed.

Brad patted Maria on the knee. "He didn't go insane," he objected.

"He tried experimenting on his colleagues," Maria pointed out.

Leonardo looked from one parent to the other. Even Toxis and Maddy combined didn't give him this big a headache. He shook his head and tried to clear his thoughts.

"Say that again?" he said.

Brad sighed. "John slowly came to the belief that the police weren't reaching their full potential," he explained. "So, he decided to try his hand at creating a...a super soldier." There was a short pause. "It didn't turn out so well."

"Dare I ask what happened?" Natalia mumbled.

"The_ test subject_ went insane," Brad answered. He tapped his fingers together. "There was nothing we could do for him. He was too far gone. The only thing that did stop him was ten shots to the chest. Unfortunately, that was from my own gun."

He hung his head. Maria took Brad's hand in hers.

"He was another good friend."

Leonardo swallowed, almost dreading what was about to come out of his mouth.

"Who was it?"

"Raphael's father," Brad replied sadly. "Pyro was eight. Seth was five."

Leonardo frowned. "Who's Seth?" he asked.

Brad looked up at him. "Raphael's younger brother," he told him.

"Slick's real name is Seth?" he pondered.

"It's not that difficult to understand," Brad put in. "Slick must be his racing name."

Leonardo ran his fingers through his hair then rubbed his eyes. His head was beginning to pound.

"Did Raphael know what happened to his father?" Trek asked.

"The chief explained to his mother what had happened. In Raphael's mind his father's real murderer was Bishop. I don't think Seth was ever told the truth."

Leonardo's mind drifted back to the Chamber. Slick had been horrified at what he had wanted to become a part of. He had been close to tears as he watched Bishop torture his brother.

"He was trying to protect me," he had whispered.

"In Speedway, Slick wanted to work for Bishop and it scared Raph, though he would never show it," Leonardo explained. "Slick finally saw what he would be getting into when we were forced to watch Bishop torture Raph."

Maria gently squeezed Brad's hand. "After that, we sort of adopted Raphael and Seth. Their mother was almost always working, and they were too young to stay home alone. So, we offered to look after them." A small smile touched her lips. "You were only a tiny thing, Leo. A few months old. Raphael and Seth treated you like you were their own brother."

"Naturally, Raphael became protective over you," Brad added. "Especially when you started walking. He would always call and ask if you were all right."

Natalia, Trek and Lyle laughed. Leonardo couldn't help but smile. So, _that_ was the reason why Raphael was always at his side in Speedway. Of course, Raphael couldn't remember and Leonardo had been too young. The smile faded and was replaced with a painful ache. Leonardo grasped his stomach and leaned forward against his arms.

"You okay, Leo?" Lyle asked.

"What's wrong, sweety?" Maria wanted to know.

"I have to save them," Leonardo whimpered. He put his hand over the place where he had been shot. "They saved me. It's my turn to save them." He looked up at his father. "Dad, how do you get to Speedway?"

"The only way there is by someone who has already been to Speedway," Brad answered. He got to his feet and headed for the garage. "Come with me."

Looking at each other, the friends and Maria followed Brad. When they got to the garage, Brad was pulling a tarp away from an old, rusty car. The machine received a few awkward glances.

"What's that thing gonna do?" Lyle asked.

"Dad, that car can't even start," Leonardo pointed out.

Brad held up a set of keys and rattled them. Leonardo just shrugged. Smirking, Brad pressed the electric start button. Immediately, the appearance of the car changed. The rusty old frame was replaced with a cheetah painted McLaren. Trek, Lyle, Natalia and Leonardo stared at the car, awestruck. Brad put his hand under his son's chin and closed his mouth.

"You have a McLaren," Trek gasped. "One of the fastest cars in the world is sitting _right there_."

"It's it real?" Lyle asked.

Brad laughed. "Of course it's real," he said. "You can touch it if you don't believe me."

The boys held up their hands.

"I ain't spoiling that paint job," Trek replied.

"Same here," Lyle agreed.

Brad tossed the keys in the air and caught them when they came back down. He repeated it a few more times before turning to his son.

"You asked how to get to Speedway. There's your answer," he said, motioning towards the car. "Every car that has driven on Speedway roads has a navigation system that will direct it right back to where it was first built. That's how Raphael has been able to go back and forth between Speedway and the main land." Brad spun the keys around his index finger. "So, who wants to go for a ride?"

* * *

What do you think?


	9. Welcome back to Speedway

It felt great to be back inside a Speedway car, even though it wasn't his own. Leonardo couldn't wait to get back to the island and retrieve his Ferrari. As they headed through downtown Brooklyn, Leonardo gazed out the window. A few heads turned to look at the car. In the back seat, Lyle, Trek and Natalia were all giddy with excitement.

"Is there, like, a secret passage to Speedway hidden somewhere in the city?" Natalia asked.

Brad laughed. "You've been reading too many spy novels," he said.

"Do you know, Leo?" Lyle spoke up.

Leonardo tried to remember if he knew the way to Speedway, but all he could remember was a red mist before falling into unconsciousness, and Raphael saying something along the lines of, "See ya in a few hours."

"I was unconscious for the whole trip," he finally answered.

"Well, now you'll see the way back to Racer's Paradise," Brad told his son.

The friends all looked out the windshield. Their eyes widened as they saw the docks fast approaching.

"Uh...Mr. S.?" Trek started.

"Yes, Trek?"

The car picked up speed.

"Dad!" Leonardo yelled.

"Yes, Leo?"

Brad pushed a button and harnesses shot out and pulled the occupants back against their seats.

"Hang on," he said.

Leonardo squeezed his eyes shut as the car flew off the wharf and crashed into the water.

* * *

Everything was silent, save for a faint humming. Leonardo slowly opened his eyes. The car was filled with a dim, blue light. He looked out the window and came face to face with a curious fish. He let out a startled cry.

"Aw, Leo, you're up," Brad said.

Leonardo turned to his father, then looked over his shoulder at his friends. They were still out cold.

"Let them sleep. It'll be another few hours before we reach Speedway," Brad explained.

"Why aren't we dead?" Leonardo asked.

"Speedway cars are built for such impacts."

Leonardo turned to look out the window again. "We're driving underwater," he pointed out.

"It's the only way to get to Speedway. Once you punch in the coordinates, there's no stopping the autopilot."

Brad took his hands off the wheel and put them behind his head. "Besides Raphael and Bishop, I'm the only one who has ever seen the road to Speedway."

"You call_ this_ a road?" Leonardo asked.

He leaned forward and found himself staring down a deep chasm. Different species of fish swam around the car. Leonardo was so absorbed in watching the fish that he didn't notice Trek, Lyle and Natalia waking up.

"Are we dead?" was the first thing out of Lyle's mouth.

Father and son turned around. Trek stretched and Natalia tried to hide a yawn. Lyle looked out the window and saw that they were underwater.

"Are we dead or am I dreaming?" he asked when a fish swam by the window.

"We're all very much alive," Brad replied.

Trek rubbed his eyes. "Then, why are we underwater?"

"And why isn't the car being crushed under the weight?" Natalia added.

"This is the only way to Speedway," Leonardo answered.

"And, Speedway cars are built to withstand the crushing pressure," Brad informed.

Just then, the computer screen flickered on and a keypad popped up. Brad punched in a code and the pad disappeared. The car began to climb upward.

"Everyone," Brad started. The car broke the surface. "Welcome to Speedway."

* * *

Slick tapped his fingers against his glass and stared at the television that was showing the highlights of the previous night's hockey game. Though he wasn't much of a hockey fan, he suffered through it due to the simple fact that it was the only thing that was on. The Race Track was no longer the high spirited sports bar that it had once been. Everything about the old Speedway had vanished.

His depressing thoughts were interrupted by his ringing cell phone. He pulled out the phone and checked the number. Not recognizing the number, he decided to answer to tell whoever it was that they had the wrong number.

"Hello?"

"Slick, it's me."

Slick nearly fell off his chair. "Leo?" he whispered.

"Who did you think it was?" Leonardo asked.

"Where are you callin' from?"

"A payphone near my old apartment building."

Slick steadied himself against the bar counter. "You're already in Speedway?"

"Duh. After you told me Raph, Don and Mike went AWOL I asked my dad how to get here," Leonardo explained.

Slick smiled. "Yeah. I kinda figured he tell ya," he said.

"That's not all he told me," Leonardo informed.

Slick blinked in confusion. "Come again?"

There was a commotion on the other line.

"Can you meet me in my old apartment?" Leonardo asked. "I'll explain everything then."

Before Slick could answer, the line went dead. With a heavy sigh, he hung up and shoved the phone in his pocket. Abandoning his drink, Slick went out to his car. Making sure no one was following him, he got in the car and headed for Summers' old apartment building.

* * *

"I can't believe you owned this," Trek said as he explored the apartment.

"This place is huge," Lyle added.

Leonardo ran his hand over the top of the flat screen television that still sat on the stand. Nothing had changed. No doubt April and Casey had done everything within their power to keep the apartment looking neat and tidy. Brad walked over and placed a hand on his son's shoulder. Leonardo looked up at him and smiled. It slowly faded as the memory of when he nearly killed Donatello came to mind. However, it was short lived. A knock sounded on the door.

"Leo? You in there?"

Leonardo hurried over and opened the door. Slick walked in and the door was closed and locked again.

"What happened over the phone?" Slick asked.

"We were almost sighted by the police," Brad answered.

Slick froze. He turned to face the man who spoke. Brad smiled.

"Hello again, Seth," he greeted.

"We used his car, so of course he came," Leonardo told Slick.

Slick cleared his throat. "It's been a long time since I've gone by that name," he said. He turned back to Leonardo. "So, when did ya get here?"

"A couple hours ago," Trek replied.

"Who are you?"

"Slick, this is Trek, Lyle, and Natalia," Leonardo introduced. "My friends from New York."

"Leo's told us all about this place," Natalia said.

"And his dad told us everything about you and your brother," Lyle muttered. Trek elbowed him in the side. "Ow! What?"

Slick looked at the floor. Brad made his way over to him.

"Seth, you're not at fault. Bishop is. Whatever happened to this place is his doing."

Slick took a deep, shaky breath. "Raph was protecting me," he whispered. "All he was doing was protecting me. He did nothing wrong."

"We'll find Raph, Slick," Leonardo promised. "But, first, I have to see April, Casey, Don and Mike."

Slick scoffed. "Good luck tryin' to see Mikey and Don."

Leonardo swallowed hard. "Why do you say that?" he asked.

"Though they don't have offical proof, those two are now the newest members of Bishop's agents."

* * *

Let me know what you think.


	10. We're In

**A/N**: I'm back. Sorry for the delay. To make it up to you here's the next chapter.

**Disclaimer**: I don't own any characters relating to the Turtles or any of the song lyrics that appear. They belong by their respectable owners.

* * *

The Audi and McLaren pulled up to a lively sports bar. Before getting out of the car, Leonardo pulled on a dark brown haired wig. Noticing his father's expression, he just shrugged and got out of the car.

"Welcome to Bishop's Bar," Slick said. "This is where all the agents come. Kinda like the Race Track."

He led the group inside. The place was packed. Not even the Race Track held this many people. At one end of the room stood a long stage. Mics and a drum kit were set up.

"Looks like it's band night," Slick noted. "Unlike the Race Track, they don't just let anyone get up and play. If you don't have talent, you don't set foot on that stage."

Leonardo looked around. Almost immediately, he saw Donatello and Michelangelo, however they weren't acting like themselves. They wouldn't even acknowledge each other. They just kept to their own small group and acted as if the other didn't even exist. He felt like going over to one of them and asking what was going on, but something told him that it would be a waste of time. He sighed sadly. Trek patted Leonardo on the shoulder.

"We'll find a way to snap them out of it," he assured his best friend.

"I hope you're right, Trek," Leonardo replied.

He eyed the stage. A band was already setting up, and so was an idea. A smirk crept across Leonardo's lips as the band began to play.

"I knew I brought my guitar for a reason," he said. He turned to the others. "You guys bring yours?"

"I never leave home without my drum sticks," Natalia said. "They're my lucky set."

"Trek?"

"My baby's back at the apartment."

"Lyle?"

"So is the bass."

Leonardo nodded in satisfaction. "One final thing. Slick, when're tryouts?"

Slick's eyes widened. "You're not actually thinking about trying out? These people are cannibals, they'll eat you alive."

"These kids are good," Brad spoke up. "At the last Battle of Bands they had at their school they came in first. And that school has some amazing musicians."

Slick sighed and ran his fingers through his hair. "Wednesday night's they pick the new band. But, you're crazy to even _think_ about doing this."

"If it gets us one step closer to finding out what happened to Raph, Don and Mike I couldn't care less about what anyone else thinks," Leonardo declared.

"Well, you'd better get practicing, because tomorrow is tryout night," Slick said.

* * *

The Watch Tower was unusually quiet. Then again, all the agents were at the bar. Slackers. That's what they were. No decent agent would even _think_ about lying down on the job. They thought that because the city was under the control of the police they were free to do whatever they wanted. It made him sick. And to make things worse, two of his own men were at the bar as well.

_They'll be doin' katas for a week._

Bishop's second-in-command walked by one of the main windows and looked down at the street. A familiar Audi drove by, followed by a Cheetah painted McLaren. His cold, amber eyes narrowed. He knew both those cars. The Audi belonged to his disobedient younger brother, the other belonged to Bishop's old partner and rival, Bradley Summers.

_He's supposed to be dead. What's he doin' here?_

Without a second thought, he headed for Bishop's office.

* * *

Trek, Lyle and Natalia waited impatiently as Leonardo changed. Slick nervously paced back and forth in front of the window and Brad calmly napped on the couch. His soft snores were the only thing that broke the silence. Natalia twirled a drum stick around her finger and stared at the bedroom door. Trek looked at his watch. The three guitars sat by the door, waiting for their owners.

"Leo, we're gonna be late," Lyle announced.

Brad snorted, shifted into a more comfortable position and went back to sleep. Slick shook his head in disbelief. How was he able to sleep when his son was about to do something incredibly stupid?

"Leo," Trek whined.

"I am no longer Leo."

The bedroom door opened and four sets of jaws dropped. Leonardo had been replaced by Toxis. Messy, dark brown hair, fierce green eyes and clothes that looked like they had gone through a blender. His jeans were torn in random spots, and his shirt looked like it had been soaked in engine grease for a long period of time. The only reason anyone knew what Toxis looked like was because Leonardo had graceously described both him and Maddy. Trek rubbed his eyes and did a double take.

"Dude, that's creepy," Lyle proclaimed.

"Who are you and what have you done with my boyfriend?" Natalia asked.

Leonardo laughed. "That's what I've been hoping for," he said. "If you guys can't recognize me then what are the chances one of Bishop's flunkies will?"

He walked over to where the guitars waited and picked up his electric guitar. Trek and Lyle also picked up their guitars.

"Shall we?" Leonardo asked.

* * *

Bishop's Bar was once again packed. It was rather intimidating to be in the same room with so many agents. The good thing was, none of them even gave the group of four a second look, let alone a first one.

"Is it just me, or is this place a lot more intimidating than yesterday?" Trek asked.

"Are you sure you wanna do this?" Slick inquired.

Leonardo fixed the strap of the guitar case on his shoulder without answering. A sign near the back of the bar notified all hopefuls that tryouts were taking place in one of the back rooms.

"Are you coming in or waiting out here?" Leonardo asked.

"I'll wait out here, thanks," Slick answered before heading to the bar.

As Slick walked away, the friends made their way to the back room. While they headed inside another group came out. By the looks on their faces, the four friends determined that the other group had been turned down.

"Good luck," one of them told Lyle.

"Here we go," Natalia whispered.

They made their way over to where the instruments were set up and took out the guys took out their guitars. While they were plugging their guitars into the amps, Natalia sat down at the drums. Already the judges began to whisper. Leonardo turned to look at Natalia and nodded. She nodded as well, as if reading his mind. She opened the song with a drum fill then the guys joined in. Leonardo began to sing.

_There high on the watch tower_  
_Keeping the peace, whatever that means._  
_'Cause you see the world through,_  
_Crosshairs and TVs, don't you?_

_Ten foot walls built around us,_  
_White picket death, so quiet, so safe._  
_But if we fall there'll be nothing, no one to catch us_  
_Sit back and watch as we_

_Spin out of control_  
_Spin out of control_  
_Try to recover but collide with each other_  
_We spin out of control_

_Something I can't change_  
_I was born in a place that lives by the sword._  
_And thus to its blade we're condemned_  
_Don't you understand why we scream "no more"?_

_My dreams are of children_  
_Orphaned by blood spilled at these hands._  
_And here are the graves of the innocent_  
_We raise our flag._

_Spin out of control_  
_Spin out of control_  
_Try to recover but collide with each other_  
_We spin out of control_

During the guitar solo someone quietly entered the room. He remained at the back of the room and watched the group on stage. They were the best that he had heard in a long time.

_Somethings you don't forgive,_  
_Somethings you don't forget._  
_Sometimes the fate you suffer is so much worse than death._  
_We're way off course now and we're drifting out to sea._  
_So cut the anchor on your heart to be set free, set free, set free._

_Spin out of control_  
_Spin out of control_

_Spin out of control_  
_Spin out of control_  
_Try to recover, we have to recover_  
_We fight or crash, one after the other_  
_Spin out of control_

The judges clapped, which was a surprise. For the first time since starting Leonardo looked up. The first person he saw was the man standing in the back. His eyes locked with familiar cold, amber eyes and a shiver shot down his spine. The man also began to clap.

"Congratulations, kids. You're in," one of the judges announced. "You'll be playing Friday night, and if the crowd likes ya you'll play Saturday. Heck, we might just keep ya if everyone's happy."

"Thanks," Leonardo said.

"We'll arrange an apartment that's close to..."

"Don't bother. I'll take 'em," the man in the back spoke.

Everyone turned to look at him.

"Pyro? Did hear you come in."

Trek and Lyle looked at each other. Leonardo swallowed hard and Natalia nervously tapped her drum sticks against her knees. Pyro walked up to the stage and held out his hand towards Leonardo.

"The name's Raphael. But, ya can call me Raph or Pyro, whichever you prefer."

Leonardo took Raphael's hand and shook it, pretending to meet him for the first time.

"Pleased to meet you," he said.

Raphael stepped back. "Ya got a name?" he inquired.

Leonardo took a deep breath. "Toxis."

Raphael frowned, causing another shiver to run down Leonardo's back. If he recognized that name they were in trouble.

"That's your street name, I take it," Raphael said.

"Yeah. I used to race."

"Used to?"

"Cops busted me and took my license," Leonardo lied.

"Bummer," Raphael said. He took a quick, deep breath. "Unfortunately, there're cops here, too. They've been runnin' this city for a year now. I don't know why they're still around, the person they're lookin' for is dead."

_If you only knew,_ Trek thought.

"Well, anyway. I guess I should get ya to your new place before I get yelled at," Raphael joked.

_Has he changed?_ Leonardo asked himself. _He doesn't seem any different._

Raphael led them out to his car. It was nice to see that the Vanquish hadn't changed. After the instruments were placed in the trunk, the group climbed into the car. Raphael and Leonardo got in front while Trek, Lyle and Natalia got in the back. Leonardo couldn't help but smile a little as he remembered his first ride in Raphael's car.

"What's so funny?" Raphael asked, turning on the engine.

"I've just always wanted to ride in a Vanquish," Leonardo replied. "This is my first time in one."

In the back, the others rolled their eyes at each other. Raphael shifted the car in drive and stepped on the gas. As predicted, the car shot forward. Leonardo's eyes drifted down to the gear shift. Raphael drummed his fingers against the lever that would ignite the nitro.

"What does that lever do?" Natalia asked.

"What lever?" Raphael asked back.

"The one you're tapping," Natalia answered.

"You mean...this one?"

It was like Raphael had pulled the trigger on a gun. The car shot forward like a speeding bullet, throwing everyone into their seats.

"Yeeha!" Trek and Lyle yelled.

"Woohoo!" Natalia cheered.

Raphael and Leonardo laughed. The nitro soon wore out and the car returned to its normal speed. Raphael pulled up to the side of a tall building and turned the car off.

"We're here," he announced.

Leonardo looked up at the building and immediately felt his heart skip a few beats. Before his eyes was the tall, flame painted Watch Tower. The lair of John Bishop.

* * *

Let me know what you think.


	11. Reclaiming Property

The quiet room was disturbed when the door handle twisted and the door was pushed open. Raphael walked in and turned on the lights.

"And this is your room," he announced as the four friends walked in behind him.

The room was a finely furnished suite with two king sized beds, a large washroom and even a kitchen area. There was another ajoining room that also had two king sized beds and a large washroom. Raphael pushed the group in further. Leonardo couldn't help but feel a little bit panicked. Was Bishop up to something? Did he know that his old partner was in Speedway with his son?

"You okay, Tox?" Raphael inquired.

"Why such a big room for only four people?" Leonardo asked.

"It's Bishop's way of welcomin' the 'specials' on to the island," Raphael answered.

"Specials?" Trek echoed.

"Non-racers. The ones who are allowed on the island without obligation to race."

"Can they race?" Natalia inquired.

"It's rare, but yeah."

Leonardo walked over to the window and looked down at the semi-busy street. He could almost see the Vanquish, Elise, EVO and Ferrari shoot down the road. A thought crept up on him.

"Hey, Raph."

"Yeah?"

"Where's the best place to get a car?" Leonardo asked, turning around.

Raphael thought for a moment. "If ya want a customized car go see Donny. He owns the largest garage in the city and he builds deadly cars. Just tell him what you want and he'll have your car ready in no time," he explained.

Leonardo nodded. "Where's his garage?"

"A block or so from the Race Track," Raphael answered.

Just then, his cell phone rang. After checking the number, Pyro excused himself and left the room, leaving the four friends to their privacy. When the door closed, Trek and Lyle instantly began exploring the two rooms.

"This is wicked," Lyle announced.

"Dudes, there's mini fridges," Trek called from the ajoining room.

"This Bishop guy doesn't seem so bad," Natalia put in.

Leonardo sat down on the bed closet to the window. "He's covering up his true nature," he said. His eyes drifted out through the window again. "You guys wanna meet Donny?"

* * *

It was very rare for him to have a quiet night. Usually he had people flowing in wanting their cars supped up, especially Bishop's crowd. He hardly had time to work on his own car anymore. Things had been crazy for the past year. Bishop had been uptight and no one knew the reason why. Then again, no one wanted to know.

The quiet was broken when the front door opened and closed. The lone mechanic looked up from his car and turned towards the source of the disturbance. Four teenagers, three guys and one girl, walked around the garage, looking at the various cars.

"Can I help you?"

One of the guys glanced up. He had messy brown hair and piercing green eyes.

"You Donny?" he asked.

"Donatello. Donny. Einstein. Grease Monkey. I've been called every mechanic and math name in the book."

"Donny is it."

Donatello pulled a rag out from his belt and wiped his hands. "What can I do for ya?" he inquired.

"We heard you're the car whiz," one of the other boys spoke up.

"I'm Speedway's top mechanic. You lookin' for anything in particular?" Donatello asked.

The shaggy brunnette ran his hand over a tiger stripped car.

"Nice. Elise?" he guessed, looking inside the car.

"Yep," Donatello answered. He frowned when the boy stood up. "You look familiar."

"Do I?"

"What's your name?"

"Toxis."

Donatello looked to be deep in thought. "I feel like I've heard that name before," he whispered, then shrugged. "Guess it was from a movie. Anyway, you see a car you like?"

Toxis looked around at the different vehicles. "Do you have any Ferraris?" he asked.

Donatello closed the hood of his car and walked over to where Toxis was standing. He leaned against the roof of the Elise.

"Why?"

Toxis blinked in confusion. "Because it's the only car you don't have?"

"You mean the only car _you_ don't have," the girl corrected.

Donatello looked over at her then back to Toxis.

"I collect cars," Toxis explained. "And there's one car that I can't seem to find."

"I'm listening," Donatello said, his interest peaked.

Inwardly, Toxis smiled. "I have models of all the big shot race cars, including the legendary cars of the Four Brothers. However, there's one brother still missing."

"And who's he?" Donatello asked.

Toxis smirked. "Wave."

The garage went silent. Donatello stared at Toxis as if he had just shot him. The others had stopped their searching and turned to see what was going on. Finally, Donatello blinked back to reality. He leaned back and took a deep breath.

"First of all, how you heard about the Four Brothers is a story in of itself. But, the fact that you managed to get replicas of their cars..."

"Who said they were replicas?" Toxis asked, crossing his arms.

"Because I built those cars," Donatello snapped. "And I still have them."

"Correction," Toxis said, holding up his index finger. "You have three of them." He held up two more fingers, then he pointed his thumb at the machine painted EVO that stood a few feet away. "That guy's yours." He pointed to the car they were standing next to. "This one's Mikey's. And I'm guessing their baby brother is hidden around here somewhere."

He walked off. Donatello was too horrified to move. There was no way a normal citizen of Speedway knew that much. Especially the part about one of the cars being hidden.

"So, ya gonna tell me where you put the switch?" Toxis asked.

Donatello slowly turned to face him. "Who are you?" he breathed.

Suddenly, the blinds went down over the windows and door and one of the boys locked the door.

"I'm someone who Bishop erased from your memory," Toxis answered. His eyes seemed to darken. "And I want my car."

* * *

Let me know what you think. No flames please.


	12. Concert Night

**Disclaimer**: I don't own Turtles or any song lyrics that I use in this story. They belong to their respectable owners.

* * *

Donatello could do nothing but stand and stare at Toxis. It was like he had been punched in the stomach. He could hardly breathe. Toxis looked at him, patiently waiting for some kind of answer. However, the only answer he received was Donatello collapsing to the floor.

"Maybe he wasn't ready for that news flash, Leo," Trek said.

Donatello began to slowly shake his head. "It's not possible," he whispered. "It's not."

Leonardo pulled off the wig, his light brown hair falling around his face. He took out a small container. He removed the green colored contact lenses and placed them inside the container, then put the container back in his pocket. Donatello gripped the edge of the car frame, his eyes filling with tears.

"There's just no way. They both heard the shot. Slick saw the blood." He looked up at Leonardo, his expression impossible to read. "They said you were dead."

Leonardo knelt down in front of his best friend. "I'm not a ghost," he assured the mechanic. "Donny, please, what happened after the Chamber?"

Donatello shook his head again and buried his face in his hands.

"You're dead. There's no way you can be alive. Jake never misses."

Leonardo sighed and turned to face the others. They just shrugged. What else could they do? Leonardo looked back at Donatello who was now shaking with uncontrollable sobs.

"Donny," he started.

Pain suddenly shot through his jaw and he fell back.

"What took you so long?" Donatello screamed.

Leonardo rubbed his sore jaw and looked up at the mechanic. He had a mean right hook.

"I guess that's my payment for me trying to kill you, huh?" Leonardo asked, pushing himself back into a sitting position.

"I really thought you were dead, Leo," Donatello spat. "So did Mikey and Raph, even April and Casey."

Leonardo blinked. "Wait...what?" he asked. "You still know them?"

"Of course I still know them," Donatello said. "What did you expect?"

"I thought that Bishop erased your memories of them," Leonardo admitted.

Donatello looked away. "He did...at my request."

Four pairs of jaws dropped. "What?" Trek, Lyle, Natalia and Leonardo asked dully.

"When I heard the gun shot I knew what had happened. I just didn't know who had been shot. But, when Raph and Mike were thrown into the cell I thought my life was over. You have a nasty way of growing on people, Leo. Losing you was like losing a brother I never had. Raph and Mike were never the same. Bishop didn't have a hard time keeping Raph in check after that. But, both me and Mikey couldn't bear the weight of what happened to you, so we joined Bishop knowing that we would never have worry about the past again."

It was Leonardo's turn to look away. He knew April was the one who saved his life. So, why didn't she tell the others that he was still alive? The answer was simple: Bishop. If word got back to Bishop that his target was still alive he would do anything to get rid of him.

Leonardo placed his right hand over his left shoulder. If the bullet had been a few inches lower it would have hit his heart. Donatello had said that Jake never missed his target. So, why did he aim for the shoulder instead of the heart?

"He's doing it again," Donatello said.

Leonardo blinked. "What?" he asked.

Donatello smirked. "You had that look in your eyes. What were you thinking about?" he inquired.

"The past," Leonardo answered grimly.

The mechanic sighed. "Unfortunately, it's something that Raph and Mike wouldn't remember easily. Especially Raph. Not only does he have Bishop to thank for his current state of mind, but also Tyra."

Summers looked at him. "What does Tyra have anything to do with Raph?"

"Didn't you know? They're in a relationship," Donatello answered.

* * *

Bishop's Bar was filled to capacity. It was sink or swim for the poor souls who were about to enter the shark tank. In the dressing room, Leonardo once again dawned his Toxis disguise. Lyle paced nervously around the room while Trek tuned his guitar and Natalia played a drum beat on airdrums.

"This is nuts," Lyle said.

"What makes you say that?" Natalia asked.

"They'll eat us alive if we mess up."

"Well, then, let's not mess up," Trek told him.

Leonardo grabbed his guitar and headed out the door. "Showtime," he said.

The crowd cheered as the Emcee walked out on stage. While he explained the night's events, the band prepaired themselves for the battle ahead. Leonardo couldn't help but think of Raphael and Michelangelo. Hopefully they were somewhere in the crowd. The band's name was announced and they walked out on stage. As soon as the guitars were plugged in and the drummer was in position the music started. It was encouraging that the crowd instantly cheered. Leonardo began to sing.

_To the sound of a heartbeat pounding away._  
_To the rhythm of the awful rusted machines._  
_We toss and turn but don't sleep,_  
_Each breath we take makes us thieves._  
_Like causes without rebels,_  
_Just talk but promise nothing else._

_We crawl on our knees for you,_  
_Under a sky no longer blue._  
_We sweat all day long for you._  
_But we sow seeds to see us through,_  
_'Cause sometimes dreams just don't come true._  
_We wait to reap what we are due._

_To the rhythm of a time bomb ticking away._  
_And the blare of the sirens combing the streets._  
_Chased down like dogs we run from_  
_Your grasp until the sun comes up._

_We crawl on our knees for you,_  
_Under a sky no longer blue._  
_We sweat all day long for you._  
_But we sow seeds to see us through,_  
_'Cause sometimes dreams just don't come true._  
_Look now at what they've done to you._

_White needle's buried in the red._  
_The engine roars and then it gives,_  
_But never dies,_  
_'Cause we don't live w__e just survive,_  
_On the scraps that you throw away._

Leonardo glanced up at once of the security cameras, knowing that Bishop was probably watching. And, he was right. From his dark office, Bishop watched the concert. The lead singer's piercing green eyes locked with his through the monitor.

_I won't crawl on my knees for you._  
_I won't believe the lies that hide the truth._  
_I won't sweat one more drop for you._  
_'Cause we are the rust upon your gears,_  
_We are the insect in your ears._  
_We crawl,_  
_We crawl,_  
_We crawl...all over you._

_We sow the seeds to see us through,_  
_Our days are precious and so few._  
_We all reap what we are due._  
_Under this sky no longer blue,_  
_We bring the dawn long overdue._  
_We crawl,_  
_We crawl,_  
_We crawl...all over you._

Bishop frowned as the song ended and as the crowd cheered. Was the singer trying to tell him something? Bishop smiled to himself. He was being paranoid again. Another song began to start. Somewhere in the audience, Leonardo saw Raphael shift in his seat.

_There, high on the watchtower_  
_Keeping the peace,_  
_Whatever that means._  
_'Cause you see the world through_  
_Crosshairs and TVs don't you?_

_Ten foot walls built around us,_  
_White picket death,_  
_So quiet, so safe._  
_But if we fall there will be nothing, no one to catch us_  
_So sit back and watch as we_

_Spin out of control._  
_Spin out of control._  
_Try to recover, but collide with each other._  
_We spin out of control._

_Something I cannot change:_  
_I was born in a place_  
_That lives by the sword._  
_And thus to it's blade we're condemned_  
_Don't you understand why we scream "no more"?_

_My dreams are of children_  
_Orphaned by blood_  
_Spilled at these hands._  
_Here on the graves of the innocent._  
_We raise our flag_

_Spin out of control._  
_Spin out of control._  
_Try to recover, but collide with each other._  
_We spin out of control._

During the solo Leonardo noticed someone else move. More than likely it was Michelangelo. He also saw Raphael smirk. Leonardo took the mic again.

_Somethings you don't forgive, somethings you don't forget._  
_Sometimes the fate you suffer is so much worse than death._  
_We're way off course now and we're drifting out to sea._  
_So cut the anchor on your heart to be set free, set free, set free._

_Spin out of control._  
_Spin out of control._

_Spin out of control._  
_Spin out of control._  
_Try to recover, we have to recover_  
_One fated crash, one after the other._  
_Spin out of control_

The bar filled with applause and cheers. Leonardo looked over his shoulder at Natalia who was spinning her drumsticks professionally. She knew the look in her boyfriend's eyes. Leonardo nodded to both Trek and Lyle. They smirked. Raphael and Tyra both frowned when the band members looked at them. The boys suddenly yelled into their mics.

_Shot through the heart,_  
_And you're to blame._

Leonardo went solo.

_Darlin', you give love a bad name._

The music started and Tyra shifted uncomfortably in her seat. As Leonardo began to sing, he locked eyes with Tyra and kept them locked.

_An angel's smile is what you sell._  
_You promise me heaven then put me through hell._  
_Chains of love, got a hold on me,_  
_When passion's a prison you can't break free._

_Oh! You're a loaded gun, yeah._  
_Oh! There's nowhere to run,_  
_No one can save me,_  
_The damage is done._

_Shot through the heart and you're to blame,_  
_You give love a bad name._  
_(Bad name)_  
_I play my part and you play your game._  
_You give love a bad name._  
_(Bad name)_  
_Hey, you give love a bad name._

_You paint your smile on your lips._  
_Blood red nails on your fingertips._  
_A school boy's dream, you act so shy,_

Leonardo narrowed his eyes, hatred burning in them.

_Your very first kiss was your first kiss goodbye._

Tyra stiffened, as did Raphael. No one knew about that kiss, not even Bishop.

_Whoa! You're a loaded gun._  
_Whoa! There's nowhere to run._  
_No one can save me,_  
_The damage is done._

_Shot through the heart and you're to blame._  
_You give love a bad name._  
_(Bad name)_  
_I play my part and you play your game._  
_You give love a bad name._  
_(Bad name)_  
_You give love, oh!_

Bishop couldn't help but become even more paranoid. There was something not right with this boy. It was like he was trying to send someone a message. But, that couldn't be possible. He wasn't a recruit, nor a citizen of Speedway. There was no way he could know anything in such a short time. Unless...

_Oh! _

_Shot through the heart and you're to blame._  
_You give love a bad name._  
_I play my part and you play your game._  
_You give love a bad name._  
_(Bad name)_

_Shot through the heart and you're to blame._  
_You give love a bad name._  
_(Bad name)_  
_I play my part and you play your game._  
_You give love a bad name._

The song ended and again everyone clapped and cheered. Leonardo took a deep breath and glanced over at Raphael. His amber eyes were aflame with anger and suspicion.

_Good,_ Leonardo thought. _Hopefully I can knock some sense back into him one way or another._

* * *

Let me know what you think. No flames, please.


	13. Suspicions

"That was awesome!" Natalia exclaimed as the group headed for the dressing room.

They could still hear cheering, and a few people were even shouting for an encore. Trek chuckled excitedly.

"What do you think, guys?" Leonardo asked. "Should we give them an encore?"

"They can wait."

Leonardo stiffened. He slowly turned around. Raphael stood behind him, arms crossed and eyes blazing. Natalia, Trek and Lyle retreated into the dressing room.

_Traitors,_ Leonardo thought.

"You've got some nerve," Raphael growled.

"I have no idea what you're talking about," the singer said causally, crossing his arms.

"What kind of stunt were ya tryin' to pull, kid?"

Leonardo smiled inwardly. He never knew how much he missed being called "kid". Then again, his adopted older brother was the one calling him that. If it had been anyone else they would have received a hit in the back of the head.

"Well?" Raphael asked.

"What makes you think I was trying to pull a stunt? They were only songs," Leonardo pointed out.

Suddenly, Raphael grabbed his shirt and pulled him forward so that they were eye to eye. A chill shot down Summers' spine and he gulped. Never before had he seen Raphael's eyes so blood thirsty.

"Who are you?" Pyro hissed.

"I knew you were hotheaded, but I didn't know you were dense."

"Go away, O'Connell," Raphael ordered.

_Donny,_ Leonardo silently sighed in relief.

"Come on, Raph, put the poor kid down," Donatello said.

Raphael turned around to face his comrade, however he kept his grip on Leonardo's shirt. The former brothers glared at each other.

"What do ya want?" Raphael finally asked.

"Tyra's looking for you," Donatello told him. "You know you're not supposed to leave her sight."

"Careful what ya say, O'Connell. 'Cause they might just find your corpse in the Waste Lands," Raphael warned.

"Those threats don't scare me anymore, Pyro. You agents always make it your business to try to scare me into doing whatever you want. I know they're just lies."

"Who says I'm lyin'?" Raphael asked.

Leonardo looked from Raphael to Donatello then back again. Donatello tried to appear calm, however his eyes betrayed his true feelings. Raphael finally released his captive and headed for the stairs, pushing Donatello to the side.

"If you know what's good for ya, O'Connell, you'd keep that smart mouth of yours shut," Pyro warned before disappearing into the shadows.

Leonardo walked over to Donatello. "You okay?" he asked.

"Yeah. I should be used to it by now," Donatello answered. "Raph threatens me more than any other agent under Bishop's command."

"Why?"

Donatello shrugged. "I guess it's because my Dad still owes Bishop." He sighed. "However, I'm that payment. It's either I follow Bishop's orders or my family is murdered before my eyes. I'd take slavery over my family's slaughter any day."

Leonardo gazed down the dark hallway where Raphael had disappeared. How was he supposed to bring him back? He felt a hand on his shoulder.

"Don't worry about it, Leo. We'll get Raph back. But, not right now. Concentrate on bringing Mike back to reality first."

Leonardo nodded. He was suddenly extremely tired. A sigh involuntarily escaped. Donatello chuckled.

"Get your friends and meet me out back. I'll take you home."

"But, we're staying at the Watch Tower."

"That's only for the first night after arriving in Speedway. Don't worry, I know a nice appartment that used to belong to a certain friend of mine."

Leonardo smiled. It was good to have Donatello back to his old self.

* * *

Bishop looked up from his paperwork when he heard a loud crash outside his office door. He got up and went to see what was going on. What he found didn't surprise him. A number of agents were scattered around the main waiting hall, all of them unconscious. The crash seemed to have originated from one of the men colliding with a plant vase, which was now in pieces. Raphael stood back on to Bishop, breathing heavily.

"I take it they tried to get you to calm down," Bishop guessed.

"I'm gonna kill O'Connell one 'a these days," Raphael growled.

Bishop pushed his glasses further up the bridge of his nose. "What did he do this time?" he inquired.

"You name it he did it. Why do you keep him around?" Raphael asked, turning to face his employer.

"Because he has yet to work off his father's debt," Bishop answered, fixing his tie.

Raphael growled again and tightened his fists.

"There is something else that is troubling you," the head agent noted.

"There's somethin' not right with that Toxis kid," Pyro whispered. "He reminds me too much of..._him_."

Bishop looked at his top agent with an interested expression. He waited to see what would happen next.

"He reminds me too much of that traitor, Summers," Raphael spat.

"Which one?" Bishop asked.

"Both of them. Father and son."

_He's still under my control._

Raphael finally seemed to be calming down, however his mind was still on Summers and O'Connell. Bishop fixed his glasses again.

"If you manage to capture one of the Summers, bring him for questioning. You may even bring in Toxis if you suspect something. It may put your mind at ease."

Raphael bowed. "Yes, sir. Thank you, sir."

"You're dismissed."

Without a glance at the wounded agents, Raphael left. When he was gone, Bishop sighed. That boy was too strong for his own good. He went back into his office and closed the doors. After sitting back at his desk, Bishop took off his glasses and rubbed his eyes. It had been a trying year. Raphael had been reluctant in succumbing to the serum. His protective older brother instincts had been far too strong, even after being injected with enough serum to wipe the memories of a hundred men. It had been back breaking work trying to feed him enough false information for the serum to work. However, even now, there was no doubt that Raphael subconsciously knew that everything he knew about Leonardo Summers was wrong. After all, Summers had been like a second brother.

_"There's something not right about that Toxis kid."_

Bishop opened his eyes. He had a feeling that he was about to see this Toxis boy very soon.

* * *

Let me know what you think. No flames, please.


	14. Denial

**A/N**: Thanks to everyone who has read and reviewed.

* * *

"Why aren't there any races, nowadays?" Trek asked as he walked around the garage.

Donatello's hand appeared from underneath a car and picked up a wrench. "Blame Bishop, or Raph, or any of the agents for that matter," he said. "Ever since Leo was 'killed' the island became a nesting ground for cops. More people were sucked into the Watch Tower faster than they were brought to Speedway."

Leonardo fiddled with a screwdriver that sat on Donatello's work bench. He looked around at the cars. He longed to be back behind the wheel of his Ferrari. He missed being Wave. In a sudden burst of irrational anger, he threw the screwdriver at the wall. Hearing the noise, Donatello emerged from the underside of the car. He was about to yell at Leonardo when a *thud* echoed throughout the garage. The three young men turned towards the middle of the garage. The floor slid back while a platform moved up. Leonardo's eyes lit up when he saw what was on the platform. He rushed over and yanked off the tarp, revealing the wave painted Ferrari.

"Dude," Trek breathed.

Donatello stood up and stared at the car as if he was seeing it for the first time. "Slick told me they turned it into scrap metal," he said.

Leonardo ran his hand over the hood of the car. "No one comes within ten feet of this car," Summers warned. "Anyone outside our group touches this car they'll be out cold in ten seconds flat."

"Leo, buddy," Trek spoke up. "Can we go for a drive?"

Leonardo smirked, setting Donatello on edge.

"No," O'Connell voiced. "Leo, no. You'll have the cops after you in no time if you go out in that."

"Ya scared, Donny-boy?" Leonardo asked.

"Leo, you're a dead man, remember?"

"Exactly," Leonardo pointed out. "What better way to get Mikey's attention? He always did have a weird liking for ghost stories and horror movies."

Trek chuckled evilly. Donatello shook his head.

"I have a bad feeling about this," he muttered.

* * *

It had been a while since he had watched a horror movie. And now he saw why. Michelangelo looked at the flickering screen that housed an old black-and-white horror film. The volume was on mute, for obvious reasons, and it was all he could do not to groan in boredom. It was at that moment his phone decided to ring. Turning off the TV, Michelangelo got up and went to answer the phone.

"Yeah?"

"Hey, Mikey."

"Don? Why are you calling at this hour?" Michelangelo asked.

"I wanted to see if you wanted to hang out," Donatello replied.

Michelangelo frowned. "What's going on?"

"What makes you think that? I can't hang out with a friend? Anyway, meet me at my apartment."

Before Michelangelo could say another word, Donatello hung up, leaving no room for an argument. Sighing, he hung up, grabbed his jacket and headed out the door. A few blocks down the road, the infamous Ferrari sat waiting in the shadows. Leonardo sat behind the wheel with Trek in the passenger's seat. Natalia and Lyle were in the back, ready to pounce at the signal. Finally, their target came out of the building and began walking towards Donatello's apartment building. Leonardo turned on the car and slowly drove forward. The others were giddy with excitement.

"Leo, I don't know what happened to you while you were here, but I like it," Natalia whispered.

Leonardo stopped the car, put it in park and turned off the engine. Michelangelo was just looking over his shoulder when the lights went out. It was all they could do not to burst out laughing. This was just too much fun. Michelangelo began walking again and the Ferrari gently drifted forward. What made it even better was that it was a foggy night. The classic horror movie scenario.

"Guys, keep quiet," Leonardo whispered.

Once again, Michelangelo turned around and the car went silent. He took out his cell phone and dialed Donatello's number. After four rings someone picked up.

"Hola."

"Donny, you didn't build a ghost car by any chance, did you?"

Donatello smiled, trying to keep himself from laughing. "No," he answered. "Why?" Though he already knew the reason.

"Are you trying to scare me?" Michelangelo demanded.

"Mikey, I didn't build a ghost car," Donatello insisted. "Now, stop whining and get over here." He looked up at Slick who just rolled his eyes.

Michelangelo snapped the phone shut and continued on his way. Leonardo motioned for Natalia and Lyle to get ready. As the car pulled up a few feet behind Michelangelo, they got out and snuck up behind him. By the time he realized what was going on, Michelangelo was already gagged and blindfolded and shoved into the back of the car. Leonardo drove off.

* * *

"Mission accomplished," Lyle said, high fiving Natalia.

Michelangelo grunted as he was dropped on to the couch. The hood was pulled off his head. He blinked up at the people standing over him. He recognized Donatello and Slick first. Then, his eyes fell on someone that he knew couldn't be there, unless...

"Ghost!" he screamed through the gag.

Everyone burst out laughing. Slick untied Michelangelo while trying to keep his laughter under control. Michelangelo scrambled off the couch and away from the group.

"What's wrong, Mike?" Leonardo asked. "Watch too many horror movies?"

"I haven't watched a horror movie in over a year," Michelangelo declared.

Leonardo gave him an amused look. "Really? Then, why are you looking at me like I'm Dracula?"

Donatello walked over and placed a hand on his friend's shoulder. "It's okay, Mikey. It's really Leo."

Michelangelo pushed Donatello away. "No. It's not Leo," he spat. "Leo's dead. I heard the gun shot. I saw Casey put him in the back of his truck." His blue eyes filled with tears. "This is a cruel joke, Donatello." He stormed for the door.

"Mikey, wait."

Leonardo grabbed his arm. Michelangelo turned around and the two locked eyes.

"Please believe me," Leonardo begged. "I'm the same Leonardo you knew a year ago. Don't you remember? You taught me how to play video games and how to surf. You were the first one I met when I arrived here. Do you really not remember?"

Michelangelo turned away, tears silently falling from his eyes. "Raphael was right," he said. "The past _is_ a pain."

And with that, he jerked his arm out of Leonardo's grip and stormed out of the room, slamming the door behind him.

* * *

Let me know what you think.


	15. Trouble

**A/N**: Thanks to everyone who has read and reviewed. Your reviews are greatly appreciated and are very inspirational.

* * *

"We should've known it was a bad idea," Slick said.

"It wasn't a bad idea, Slick," Donatello replied, pouring himself a cup of coffee. "Mikey just doesn't want to remember."

Trek, Lyle and Natalia sat on the couch in silence, listening to the two friends talk. Was Michelangelo that traumatized that he refused to remember who Leonardo was? How did a person get to that point?

"So, Mike refuses to believe that Leo's alive?" Lyle asked.

Donatello took a long sip of coffee and nodded. He lowered the mug and sighed. Looking into the dark liquid his brown eyes grew sad. It was clear that Speedway and its residents had seen happier days. So, why did everything suddenly change?

"Why doesn't Mike want to remember?" Trek wanted to know. "Weren't he and Leo friends?"

"The best of friends," Donatello answered. "We all were. Myself, Leo, Mike and Raph. The four brothers we were called." He smiled sadly. "Those were the days. I miss seeing Mikey smile. I miss hearing him laugh as he beat Raph in a video game. I miss Raph lecturing me on proper racing techniques." His eyes began to water and he bit the inside of his bottom lip to keep himself from breaking down. "We weren't related, by any means. And Raph didn't have to look after me and Mikey. He could've just left us to drown in the Water Works. You know that saying, 'Everything happens for a reason'?" The others nodded. Donatello looked up, tears streamed down his face. "For what reason did Raph and Mike chose to erase their memories of the past?" he asked. "For what reason did _I _chose to erase my memories? They shouldn't have been painful. I knew Casey would have to be called. I knew April was going to be with him. April's a certified surgeon, if there was any way to save Leo's life she would find it." Donatello ran his fingers through his hair. "How can a tiny piece of metal cause so much trouble?"

A knock sounded at the door. Slick went over to the door and opened it.

"Is he here?" April asked as she hurried into the apartment. Casey and Brad were right behind her.

"Is who here?" Casey wanted to know. He turned to Donatello. "You mind tellin' me what she's lookin' for? I've been askin' her all the way here. Who is she after?"

Another door opened somewhere in the apartment. By the rushing of water in the pipes, someone just came out of the washroom. Casey stiffened when Leonardo walked into the living room.

"Leo!" April exclaimed.

Leonardo's head snapped up. "April?"

April ran over and threw her arms around her friend's neck. Casey just stared at the boy in April's arms. There was no way that was Leonardo. He had seen what had happened in the Chamber.

"No way," Jones breathed.

April turned around and smiled. "It's really Leo, Casey," she replied. "He was still alive when we found him in the Chamber. Why do you think I asked if I could stay in the back with him?"

"It's okay if you don't believe her, Casey," Leonardo said sadly. "It wouldn't be the first time someone thought I was a ghost."

He was about to turn around and head for the bedroom when he was pulled into a tight bear hug.

"I knew you were alive, Leo," Casey announced.

"I can't breathe!" Leonardo gasped.

Casey released him and Summers gasped for breath.

"So, Mr. S, where did you disappear off to?" Trek asked.

"I was visiting old friends," Brad answered. "Speedway has changed a lot since I've been here."

"You haven't seen Raph have you?" Slick asked.

Brad shook his head. "I haven't. He was one of the people I was looking for."

"Good luck trying to find him. He spends most of his time in the Watch Tower nowadays," Donatello explained. "Bishop won't let him out of his sight."

"That's understandable," Brad said. _Bishop was always overprotective of his experiments._

"So, you're April O'Neil and Casey Jones, right?" Natalia asked.

"Leo's told us everything about you guys," Lyle said.

"And you must be Natalia, Trek and Lyle," April replied. "Leo's told us about you, too."

While April and Casey talked to the three friends, Brad took his son, Donatello and Slick into the bedroom. The ex-racer closed the door and locked it.

"Is something wrong, Dad?" Leonardo asked.

"What did you do to make Raphael so mad?" Brad wanted to know.

"What do you mean?" Slick spoke up.

"I didn't do anything," Leonardo defended. "If he's mad about the concert thing that is _not_ my fault. He read too much into that song."

Brad frowned. "What song?"

"_You Give Love a Bad Name_by Bon Jovi," Donatello answered. "He sang it straight to Tyra's face."

"Yeah, but that's not the only song he sang," Slick added.

Brad crossed his arms. "Leo, are you trying to get yourself killed?"

Leonardo smirked in the same manner that Raphael did. "I'm already dead, remember? How can you kill a ghost?"

"Leo, be serious," Brad chastised. "You were lucky to bring Donatello back to his senses. Trying the same thing to Michelangelo and Raphael is a death wish."

"It's a little late for that, Detective Summers," Donatello said. "We've already tried talking Mikey back to his senses. It didn't end so well."

Brad uncrossed his arms and put his hands in his jeans pockets.

"It was a long shot and it back fired," Slick put in.

"If anything goes wrong from here on in I take full responibility," Leonardo said. "It _was_ my idea, after all."

Brad sighed heavily. "Then, let's pray that nothing goes wrong," he replied.

* * *

The keys rattled in the lock and the door opened after a gentle push. Raphael walked into his apartment, closed the door and tossed the keys on the counter. He rolled his shoulders, wincing as the muscles pulled. He had spent the entire day weight-lifting and now he was paying the price for it.

"Tough day?" someone asked.

Raphael froze on his way to his room. How did he not notice that someone else was in his apartment? He turned around and looked at the couch. A side lamp flicked on and the tired form of Michelangelo was revealed. Raphael growled in annoyance.

"Ya know no one's allowed in here," he said.

"You let Tyra in here," Michelangelo pointed out stiffly. "She's the exception to every one of your rules."

Raphael turned around to face Hall fully. "What do you want?" he asked.

"I want Leo to leave me alone," Michelangelo answered.

Raphael stiffened and tightened his hand into a fist. "Leonardo is dead, Hall."

"Is he?"

"You know as well as I do that Jake never misses."

Michelangelo's blue eyes darkened as the night of his brother's murder flashed in his mind's eye.

"If he's dead, then what was it that I saw tonight?" he whispered.

Raphael blinked. "Come again?"

"I saw him, Pyro. And he was no ghost."

"You saw him? You saw Summers?"

"By the sound of your voice, I'd say you saw him, too," Michelangelo said.

Raphael shook his head. "I didn't see Summers. I saw Toxis."

Hall's eyes widened. "T-Toxis? Bu-but that means..."

"Yeah."

Pyro walked over to the kitchen area and opened a drawer. Inside lay a jet black handgun with a flame painted barrel. Raphael picked it up and cocked it. Michelangelo was now frozen in the chair. Agents never carried a gun. They weren't even allowed to have one in their apartment. How did Raphael get his hands on one?

"C'mon, Hall. We're goin' ghost huntin'," Pyro said.

* * *

What do you think? Worth continuing?


	16. The Flame

**A/N**: Thanks to everyone who has read and reviewed. Your reviews are greatly appreciated and are very inspirational.

Disclaimer: Again, I don't own any characters relating to Turtles or the song lyrics that I use. They belong to their respectable owners.

* * *

It was nice to be back at the Race Track. It wasn't as intimidating as Bishop's Bar. Granted, it wasn't the same Race Track as he remembered, but Leonardo felt more comfortable in a place with fellow racers. The bar was quiet. No TVs were on, no one was yelling, it was just unnaturally quiet. Even Trek, Lyle and Natalia knew that the silence wasn't a good thing. Trek shifted in his seat.

"Dudes, we should get up and play something," he said in a low voice.

"We don't have our instruments," Lyle pointed out.

Trek pointed to the stage. "They do," he answered.

"I'm with Trek," Leonardo put in. "This place needs a change of pace."

Lyle shook his head. Slick looked from the four friends to the stage.

"Lyle, if you don't wanna play, I'll go," he offered.

"Can you play bass?" Lyle asked.

"I've been playing bass ever since I was six," Slick told him as he got to his feet. "So, who's with me?"

Leonardo, Trek and Natalia got up and the four of them headed for the stage. Leonardo took the lead guitar while Trek took the rhythm guitar. Slick picked up the bass and Natalia sat down behind the drums. The movement caused everyone to turn and look at them. The friends began to play, the music effectively breaking the uncomfortable silence. After a short intro, Leonardo began to sing.

_I can still remember the words and what they meant_  
_As we etched them with our fingers in years of wet cement_  
_Days blurred into each other though everything seemed clear_  
_We cruised along at half speed but then we shifted gears_

_We ran like vampires from a thousand burning suns_  
_But even then we should have stayed_

_But we ran away - now all my friends are gone_  
_Maybe we've outgrown all the things we once loved_  
_Run away - but what are we running from?_  
_A show of hands from those in this audience of one_  
_Where have they gone?_

Outside, the famous Vanquish pulled up to the Race Track. Raphael and Michelangelo climbed out and made their way inside. They could hear music and a familiar voice was singing. The two young men slipped into the back and hid in the shadows. The singer had neatly combed brown hair and light brown eyes. They recognized the rhythm guitar player, the drummer and the bass player instantly. However, it wasn't until the singer began singing again did they know who it was.

_Identities assume us as nine and five add up_  
_Synchronizing watches to the seconds that we lost_

It was at that time that Leonardo made the mistake of looking into the crowd. His eyes locked with cold amber, then icy blue.

_And I looked up and saw you - I know that you saw me_  
_We froze but for a moment in empathy_

Leonardo couldn't help the anger as it built up in his veins. Every ounce of anger and frustration he could muster he poured out into the words.

_I brought down the sky for you but all you did was shrug  
__You gave my emptiness a name_

_And you ran away - now all my friends are gone_  
_Maybe we've outgrown all the things we once loved_  
_Run away - but what are we running from?_  
_A show of hands from those in this audience of one_  
_Where have they gone?_

_We're all okay until the day we're not_  
_The surface shines while the inside rots_  
_We raced the sunset and we almost won_  
_We slammed the brakes but the wheels went on_

_We ran away - now all my friends are gone_  
_Maybe we've outgrown all the things that we once loved_  
_Run away - but what are we running from?_  
_A show of hands from those in this audience of one_  
_Where have they gone? _

The crowd clapped and cheered as the music faded. Trek put down the guitar and went over to the drums. He whispered something to Natalia, who nodded and handed him the drum sticks. Leonardo gave her a questioning look. She motioned him to wait a moment and went to get the keyboard. She set it up in front of a mic and proceeded to get it to the right sound that she wanted. When she was ready, Natalia looked over her shoulder and nodded at Trek. She began to play the keyboard. Low, eerie music filled the room which was soon accompanied by the drums. Natalia began to sing.

_Can you stop the fire?_  
_Can you stand to fight her?_  
_You cant stop the fire,_  
_you wont say the words._

_Please, please forgive me,_  
_But I won't be home again._  
_Maybe someday you'll look up,_  
_And, barely conscious, you'll say to no one:_  
_"Isn't something missing?"_

_You won't cry for my absence, I know _  
_You forgot me long ago._  
_Am I that unimportant?_  
_Am I so insignificant?_  
_Isn't something missing?_  
_Isn't someone missing me?_

_Even though I'm the sacrifice,_  
_You won't try for me, not now._  
_Though I'd die to know you love me,_  
_I'm all alone._  
_Isn't someone missing me?_

_Can you stop the fire?_  
_Can you stand to fight her?_  
_You cant stop the fire,_  
_you won't say the words._

_Please, please forgive me,_  
_But I won't be home again._  
_I know what you do to yourself,_  
_I breathe deep and cry out;_  
_"Isn't something missing?"_

_Even though I'm the sacrifice,_  
_You won't try for me, not now._  
_Though I'd die to know you love me,_  
_I'm all alone._  
_Isn't someone missing me?_

_Can you stop the fire?_  
_Can you stand to fight her?_  
_You cant stop the fire,_  
_you won't say the words._

As the crowd applauded, Natalia changed the settings on the keyboard. Lyle finally got up and went to the stage. He picked up the second guitar. A more techno style beat began to play. The boys joined in and Natalia began to sing.

_I'd give anything to give me to you._  
_Can you forget the world that you thought you knew?_  
_If you want me, come and find me. _  
_Nothing's stopping you so please release me._

_I'll believe all your lies,_  
_Just pretend you love me._  
_Make believe, close your eyes._  
_I'll be anything for you._

Raphael began moving across the back of the room while Michelangelo stayed where he was standing and watched the performance.

_Nothing left to make me feel anymore._  
_There's only you and everyday I need more._

"If you want me," Leonardo's voice whispered through the speakers.

_If you want me..._

"Come and find me."

Raphael looked at the stage. Leonardo was nowhere in sight. He looked at Slick, who simply shrugged and continued playing.

_Come and find me._  
_I'll do anything you say just tell me._

_I'll believe all your lies,_  
_Just pretend you love me._  
_Make believe, close your eyes._  
_I'll be anything for you._

Raphael took off for the back door. The others silently prayed that Leonardo was okay.

_I'll believe a__ll your lies,_  
_Just pretend you love me._  
_Make believe, c__lose your eyes._  
_I'll be anything for you._

_Anything for you._  
_I'll become your earth and sky._  
_Forever never die._  
_I'll be everything you need._

_I'll believe a__ll your lies,_  
_Just pretend you love me._  
_Make believe, c__lose your eyes._  
_I'll be anything for you._

_I'll believe a__ll your lies,_  
_Just pretend you love me._  
_Make believe, c__lose your eyes._  
_I'll be anything for you._

"Do you think that gave Leo enough time to get out?" Lyle whispered.

"I hope so," Natalia whispered back.

* * *

Leonardo bolted down the street. He could hear heavy footsteps behind him. Summers dashed around a corner and sped down an alleyway. He looked over his shoulder to see if he had lost his persuer, only to crash into a broad chest. The young racer fell to the ground. With a groan he looked up.

"You're busted, Summers," Raphael said.

"Took you long enough," Leonardo spat. "So, what gave it away?"

"Try the fact that, besides you, only myself, Hall, O'Connell, Jones and O'Neil knew what Toxis and Maddy looked like," Raphael explained. "Did you honestly think that that disguise would work?"

Leonardo smirked. "It did work," he pointed out smugly. "It got me into Bishop's Bar. It got me to Donny..."

"And it just got you a one way ticket to the Chamber," Raphael added, grabbing Leonardo's collar and pulling him to his feet.

Summers was going to fight back when he felt something press against the bottom of his chin.

"Or, perhaps I should end the misery here," Pyro hissed.

Leonardo felt his heart skip a few beats when he realised what was against his throat.

"Since when did Bishop allow agents to carry guns?" he wanted to know.

"He doesn't," Raphael answered.

"Then, why do you have one?"

Raphael's eyes grew darker and colder. "Do you know where Bishop got the idea of using the flame as his symbol?" Leonardo shook his head. Raphael held up the gun, revealing the flame painted barrel. "He got it from my father. My Dad was a pyromaniac. He loved fire, but not to the point where he would intentionally set things on fire. When he joined the police force he painted the barrel of his hand gun in the pattern of flames."

"He stole the design from your Dad?" Leonardo asked. "When did do that? After he killed your Dad?"

Raphael slammed him up against the brick wall, pressing him in a choke hold. "Bradley Summers is my father's murderer," he spat. "The bullets came from _his_ gun. He even _confessed_ to shooting him."

"That's not right. Dad told me you always said that _Bishop_ was the one who killed your Dad," Leonardo gasped. He winced when the grip tightened.

"He's a liar. Brad Summers was responsible for Dad's death. He took someone I loved away from me, now I'm gonna return the favor."

Leonardo was sure that his heart had stopped beating, and it wasn't because he couldn't breathe. He was staring down the barrel of a nine millimetre handgun.

* * *

What do you think?


	17. Caught

**A/N**: Thanks to everyone who has read and reviewed. Your reviews are greatly appreciated and are very inspirational.

* * *

Leonardo tried to catch his breath, however the tight grip on his throat made it extremely hard to do so. And on top of that, he had a gun in his face.

"Raph, let go," he gasped. "I can't breathe."

There was the sound of a car door closing and someone walked into the alley.

"Let the boy go, Pyro. He's more useful to us alive."

Raphael put the gun down and released Leonardo. Summers fell to the ground and gasped for breath. He was sent into a coughing fit. Raphael put the gun in the holster that was hidden inside his jacket.

"Well, well. If it isn't young Wave Summers. Can't say I'm surprised to see you alive."

Leonardo looked up to find Agent John Bishop standing over him. His hands tightened into fists.

"I'm glad that you managed to survive. I need new test subjects for my experiments and so far the ones I have been using have not reacted well."

"Test subjects? Like Raph's father?" Leonardo snapped.

Bishop placed a hand against Raphael's chest to keep him back. "Do not blame him, Pyro. The sins of the father should not be passed to his son. Wave does not know the truth," he explained.

Leonardo scoffed. "Is that how you break your lab rats? You wipe their memories and feed them false information? Must be pretty easy performing experiments when the rats have no clue what's going on."

Bishop's eyes narrowed behind his tinted glasses. "Pyro, go wait in the car," he instructed.

"But, sir..."

"Now!" Bishop yelled.

Raphael growled but stormed off to the car nonetheless. Leonardo watched as he disappeared around the corner.

"That's one obedient dog you have there," he commented, turning back to Bishop. "How short is his leash?"

A sharp pain shot through his skull and he fell to the ground. Bishop spun the metal rod once. Leonardo held the left side of his head and squeezed his eyes shut, fighting back tears of pain.

"You know too much for your own good," Bishop said. "You know too much and you get yourself in trouble. Luckily, I know how to cure it."

Leonardo felt a sharp pain shoot down his spine. In a matter of seconds he began to lose consciousness. He opened his eyes and looked up. Bishop was just putting a small syringe in a metal box. The last thing he saw was Bishop's eerie smile of satisfaction before slipping into darkness.

* * *

Donatello glanced at the clock. Twelve-thirty in the morning. He drummed his fingers against the steering wheel and sighed. It had been two days since Leonardo disappeared and no one had gotten a decent night's rest. He found himself dozing off every now and then, and once he fell asleep while he was working. He woke up to find himself staring at the underside of the car he had been working on at the time.

O'Connell rubbed his eyes and moaned. What was taking Slick so long? Surely, it didn't take two hours just to get a lead. Donatello put the seat back and got into a comfortable position. As soon as he closed his eyes he was sound asleep.

* * *

_It was the sound of someone banging on the door that instantly woke Donatello up. However, instead of being in his car, he was in his old room._

_"Donny, wake up!" his mother called. "We have to go."_

_Donatello jumped out of bed, got dressed and went to see what was going on. He stopped dead in his tracks when he came to the living room. Five heavily armed men had his family up against the wall. Another man stood off to the side. Donatello swallowed when the man looked at him. He had the coldest amber eyes he had ever seen._

_"Your time is up, O'Connell," the amber eyed man said. "Bishop wants his money."_

_"And he'll get his money," Donatello's father replied. "If he would just give me a few more months..."_

_"No can do, O'Connell. He wants it _now_."_

_Donatello looked from the soldiers to his father. "Dad? What's going on?" he asked._

_"Yeah, what's going on?" his older sister, Catherine repeated._

_"Keeping secrets are we, O'Connell?" The man turned to the siblings. "Your father's been payin' off his debt to John Bishop for the last four years. However, lately, he's been neglecting his payments, and now I've come in Bishop's place to collect."_

_Catherine and Donatello looked at their father. The look in their eyes both asked the question, "Is it true?"_

_Their father looked back at the man. "I don't have all the money, Pyro. If you could ask Bishop to give me a few more months I'll have it."_

_Pyro shook his head. "I already told ya. He wants it now. Not a few months." He turned his cold eyes to Donatello, who froze. "Very well. I guess I'll just have to collect collateral."_

_He walked over to where Donatello stood frozen._

_"No!" Catherine screamed. "Not Donny!"_

_"Pyro, no!" O'Connell yelled._

_Donatello began backing up. However, his back hit the opposite wall._

_"Anything but Donny," he heard his mother beg._

_"You can have anything," his father pleaded._

_Pyro looked Donatello straight in the eyes, as if searching for something. "No. He'll do just fine," he said, an eerie smirk crossing his face._

* * *

"Yo, Donny-boy, you up?"

Donatello's eyes shot open. He was back in his car with Slick looking at him with a worried expression.

"Dude, you okay?" Slick asked.

Donatello sat up, fixed the seat and rubbed his eyes. "Yeah. I'm fine. Uh...did you find out anything?"

"Another dead end." He sighed. "This is getting monotonous. I have the right mind to call Raph."

Donatello looked at him. "You're seriously thinking about calling your AWOL brother?"

Slick took out his cell phone and began going through the numbers he had on speed dial. It came to Raphael's cell phone number, however his fingers lingered over the button.

"Slick, you know he's not gonna tell you anything," Donatello tried to reason. "Why would he?"

"Beneath the shell I know Raphie's still in there. It's not his fault. Bishop twisted him into something he hates."

Donatello grabbed Slick's wrist before he could press the "call" button. "If you did call him, what do you suppose would happen?" he asked.

There was a short silence before Slick spoke. "I have to try," he said.

* * *

Leonardo was forced back to consciousness when a sharp pain shot through his jaw. He blinked a few times to adjust his eyes to the pitch black. He felt something cold around his mouth and nose and something pushed against his upper and lower jaw. He was tied to a chair. His arms were strapped down against the arms and his ankles were strapped to the legs.

"Good. You're awake," Bishop said, walking into view.

All Leonardo could do was moan. Bishop grinned.

"Welcome back to the Chamber. You remember this place, don't you?"

Leonardo remained silent and clenched his teeth against the piece of metal between his teeth. Again, Bishop smiled.

"How do you like the new human muzzle? Unlike the traditional ones, the muzzle you are wearing has a little something extra," he explained, taking out a strange key.

He placed the key into the hole in the middle of the muzzle and began to turn. The piece of metal inside began to separate. Leonardo screamed in pain. Bishop took the key out, but didn't loosen the muzzle. Leonardo fought back tears of pain.

"I would much rather have your father in your place, but I have been wanting to teach you a lesson for quite some time," Bishop said. He began walking around the chair. "I knew you were going to be trouble ever since you were born. After all, you had Brad Summers for a father." He tightened the strap behind Leonardo's head, making the boy cry out in pain again. "And I was right. I told Raphael to bring you to Speedway so that I could keep a close eye on you. However, instead of trying to turn you into an agent, Raphael went in the opposite direction and tried everything he could to keep you out of my hands. You made him remember the things I tried to erase from his memory. Such as the accident."

Leonardo's eyes widened. He gasped. The key was inserted again and the metal pushed his upper and lower jaw apart.

"I was considering exterminating you. But, then I found your medical history and decided to test a new serum I had developed. And to my pleasure, it worked exactly as I had planned, and more. Never had I expected you to almost kill O'Connell. I would have lost my bargaining chip against his father, but he also has a sister, so he's expendable." Bishop continued to walk around the chair. "So, then I decided to see how you would react to the super soldier stimulant, and again, you proved to be more than useful." Bishop finally stopped in front of Leonardo who kept his eyes on the floor. "I shouldn't be surprised, really. Anyone who shares the same DNA structure of Justin and Bradley Summers always make the best soldiers and agents."

Leonardo's head snapped up. Bishop smirked again.

"Were you not told? The first test subject for the super soldier stimulant was your father's brother, in turn your uncle. So, if Justin Summers was your uncle, what does that make Pyro and Slick?"

And with that, Bishop walked out of the chamber, leaving Leonardo with another horrific truth. Not only did his father have to kill a good friend, he had to kill his own brother.

* * *

Let me know what you think.


	18. Who am I?

Raphael tapped his fingers against the glass of water that sat in front of him. The bar was its usual noisy self which kept Raphael from dwelling too much on his thoughts. He was sure that if he had to deal with what was going through his mind he would go insane.

"Cheater!" he heard someone yell.

"It ain't cheatin' if you're good," Michelangelo replied.

"I want a rematch!"

Michelangelo shrugged. "Fine by me. If you wanna keep losin' by all means, be my guest."

Raphael groaned and buried his face in his hands. He felt someone wrap their arms around him.

"Raphie, what's wrong?" Tyra asked. "Tough day?"

"Every day is tough," Raphael told her. "No. Today was just plain torture."

Tyra's eyes widened. "You weren't put in the Chamber again, were you?"

"No, not that kinda torture," Raphael replied.

"Then, what?" Tyra wanted to know. Raphael didn't answer. "C'mon, Raphie. We used to talk all the time. What happened?"

"Maybe he got himself a new girlfriend," another agent spoke up.

Raphael growled. "Back off, Parker," he warned.

The red-headed agent turned to face Pyro and smirked. "Or you'll do what? Break out some of those karate moves on me?"

"Ninjitsu, lamebrain," Raphael corrected. "And I could have ya in traction in two seconds flat. Don't tempt me."

"Ah, waz the matter? Is wittle Waphie not getting enough attention from Daddy Bishop?" Parker taunted.

"That's it!" Raphael roared.

Michelangelo was about to throw a dart when there was a loud crash. He jumped and turned towards the source of the noise. He let out a startled cry when he saw Raphael and Parker fighting. It didn't help matters that both men knew martial arts. Parker swung a fist which Raphael easily dodged. Pyro then slammed his own fist in Parker's stomach. When he was down, Raphael grabbed his collar and swung him across the room. Parker's flight stopped when he crashed into the wall. He didn't have much time to recover when Raphael was charging towards him again. Parker had a difficult time dodging his opponent's attacks.

Michelangelo was just making his way to the front of the crowd when Raphael came crashing into him. Luckily, Michelangelo had others behind him to keep him on his feet. Raphael was about to charge again when Michelangelo grabbed his arm.

"He's not worth it, Raph."

"Stay out of this, Hall," Raphael ordered, pushing Michelangelo back.

He stormed forward. "Raph!" he heard his former student yell.

Raphael pulled off his jacket and cracked his knuckles. Parker's eyes widened when he saw the gun hanging just below Pyro's left arm.

"How did you get a gun?" he demanded.

"Don't matter. This ain't a weapons fight."

And with that, Raphael swung at Parker's head. He ducked and grabbed Pyro around the waist. The two men fell to the floor and turned into a wrestling match. Tyra came up to stand by Michelangelo.

"This is the fiercest I've ever seen Raph fight," she said.

Parker brought his knee up and it connected with Raphael's stomach.

"Shouldn't we break it up?" Michelangelo asked.

"Nah. Raph's been tense for the past few days. He needs to blow off some steam."

"This isn't blowing off steam. This is ten seconds away from major melt down."

Raphael finally managed to keep Parker pinned down. They were both panting and gasping for breath.

"Looks like Bishop's top agent isn't so perfect, after all," Parker sneered.

There was a rush of air beside his head, causing him to shut his eyes. When Parker opened his eyes Raphael's fist was only inches away from his head. The floor seemed to have cracked under the force.

"You're lucky that wasn't your head," Raphael whispered.

He then got to his feet and headed out of the bar. Michelangelo ran after him.

"Raph, wait up!" he called. He caught up to Raphael and grabbed his arm. "Will you wait a minute?"

Raphael shoved him back. "Don't you dare tell me what to do!" he exploded.

Michelangelo stepped back, terrified. "I...I just wanted to talk."

"Maybe I don't want to talk," Raphael shouted. "Honestly, I wish everyone would leave me alone."

He stormed off, leaving Michelangelo to sort out what had just happened. He didn't know where he was going, he just wanted to get away from Bishop's agents. The further he walked, the more his eyes burned. Raphael looked up and found himself a few feet away from Donatello's garage. Seeing that no one was around, he made his way inside. He closed and locked the door and made sure all the lights were off. He finally collapsed. Years of pain and frustration were finally let loose as Raphael broke down.

* * *

Slick snapped his phone shut. "He still won't answer."

"Give him time," Brad instructed.

Donatello nervously paced around the living room. Trek, Natalia and Lyle had gone to bed hours ago, and no one could blame them. It had been eight days of searching and none of them could sleep. Brad finally managed to drug three drinks which sent Leonardo's New York friends straight to Dreamland.

"Even if we do get a hold of Raph, what's he gonna do? He hates us," Donatello said.

"You'd be surprised what can happen in eight days," Brad told him, taking a sip of coffee.

Donatello looked at his watch. "Well, I'm heading back to the garage. If you need me, you can reach me on my cell or the garage phone."

And with that, he left the apartment. A few minutes driving later found O'Connell walking up to the back door of the garage. He frowned when he found it was locked.

_I'm sure I had left that open,_ he thought.

He took out his keys and unlocked the door. Donatello opened the door and stepped inside. He hung his keys up and took off his jacket. As soon as he stepped into the garage he heard labored breathing. Donatello froze in his tracks. He held his breath and listened. The breathing was interrupted by a groan. The mechanic turned on the lights, revealing an emotionally broken Raphael collapsed in the middle of the room.

"Raph!" Donatello exclaimed as he ran over to his former racing instructor. "Raph, are you okay?'

Raphael pushed himself away. "Go away," he moaned.

"I would, but this is my garage," Donatello pointed out. "You're the intruder, not me."

Normally, Raphael would have a witty remark, but this time he was silent. O'Connell frowned and lightly touched Raphael's shoulder.

"Raph, are you okay?" he repeated his earlier question in a soft voice.

Raphael buried his face in his folded arms. His body tensed and it was clear that he was trying to keep his emotions in check. Donatello shifted into a more comfortable position.

"Raphie," he whispered.

Tired amber eyes finally looked up at him. "What do I do, Donny?" came an unexpected plea.

Donatello blinked. "Pardon?"

"I don't know who I am, anymore," Raphael said, his voice shaking and his eyes filling with tears. "I don't know fact from fiction; truth from lie; friend from foe." He looked away and closed his eyes. His body began to shake.

Donatello placed a hand on his shoulder. "I know," he stated simply. "You're Raphael, the best racing instructor and the best racer Speedway has ever seen. The fact is, Bishop has brainwashed you into thinking that the Summers family are to blame for your Dad's murder. The truth is, sadly you believed him and have been his most loyal agent since, but also Bishop is the one who killed your Dad, not Mr. Summers. He tried to save him, but the only he could do that was by shooting him. Your friends are the ones who have been trying to help you recover your memories; myself, Leo, April and Casey. Anyone under Bishop's employ are enemies, except for Mikey who has also fallen victim to Bishop's brainwashing tactics."

"Why?" Raphael asked in a defeated voice.

"Because we thought Leo was dead," Donatello answered sullenly.

"We?"

Donatello looked at the floor. "I asked Bishop to clear my mind of any memory that involved Leo. Mikey did the same. Bishop just automatically wiped your memory in hopes of reclaiming his top agent." He took a deep breath. "Which is why I have to ask you...where _is_ Leo?"

Raphael closed his eyes. "You're gonna hate me for tellin' ya."

"Raph, where is he?" Donatello pressed.

Pyro looked at him, agony shining in his amber eyes. "Where this mess first started," he answered.

"You don't mean..."

"Yeah, Don. Leo's back in the Chamber."

* * *

...


	19. Too Easy

The world was nothing but darkness and pain. How long had he been down here? Was anyone looking for him? Surely, it didn't take a rocket scientist to figure out where he was being held prisoner and who his captor was. It should be obvious. Then again, it was Bishop they would be up against. A delay would be necessary to get past his security. Donatello would find the best route to take and, with April's and his father's help, he would come up with a fool proof rescue plan. Leonardo groaned in pain. Maybe he had too much faith in them. If they had a rescue plan they would have gone through it by now, right?

The silence and his thoughts were broken by the sound of footsteps echoing in the hall. The guard was making his rounds. Leonardo was grateful that Bishop hadn't tightened the muzzel in the last couple of days. The pain in his jaw was just an annoying aching throb. He would've taken the muzzel off himself if his hands weren't always tied behind his back. Leonardo tried to shift into a more comfortable position on the concrete floor. However, in the process, he hit the muzzel, causing the metal plates inside to dig into his gums. He suppress a pained scream and curled into a ball, squeezing his eyes shut as tears began to build.

_Calm breaths,_ he told himself. _Calm, deep breaths._

No amount of martial arts training could prepare anyone for torture. Leonardo was sure that his faith and trust in his friends and family was as strong as he had first thought. But, two days after being captured, Bishop had crushed him to the point of doubting everyone he knew, including his own father. Leonardo fought back a small sob. He wasn't going to cry. He wouldn't give Bishop that satisfaction. However, he couldn't stop the tears from silently running down his face.

_Guys, please,_ he begged. _Where are you?_

* * *

Raphael walked through the halls of the Watch Tower. A dark purple laptop was safely tucked under his right arm. It was a miracle that Donatello trusted him with his most prized possession. The laptop contained every hacking and code breaking program in the book. When asked about it, Donatello just shrugged and said that he was extremely bored one day. He had never used any of the programs until now.

_Donny, you had better hope this plan of yours works,_ Raphael thought. _'Cause if it doesn't, Leo's gonna have a few new roommates._

His stomach felt like it was on a rollarcoaster. He came to an elevator and pushed the "up" button. Pyro wrapped his free arm around his stomach in a futile attempt to settle the uneasy feeling. He was only doing this because he had access to the most secure location in the entire tower, Bishop's office. Luckily, Bishop was away on business and had appointed Raphael to keep an eye on the monitors in his office. The doors opened and Raphael stepped into the elevator. He pressed the button for the top floor. The doors closed and the elevator began its ascent to Bishop's domain.

_Don't let anyone be there. Don't let anyone be there,_ Raphael silently prayed.

The doors opened and he was met with an empty hallway. Breathing a sigh of relief, Raphael made his way to Bishop's office door. He entered the code and the doors opened. The office was dark and cold. Raphael shivered as he made his way over to the desk. He sat down and spun the chair around so that he was facing the monitors. He turned them on and had to shield his eyes until they adjusted to the sudden light. He slipped on a head set and took out his cell phone. He dialed Donatello's number and waited for him to pick up. While he waited, Raphael set the laptop up. He connected it to the panel that housed the controls for the Chamber's security system.

"Hello?"

"You guys ready?" Raphael asked, pressing a button that locked the office doors.

"We're outside the Chamber," Donatello told him.

Raphael took a deep breath. This plan had better work. "I'll keep an eye out for Bishop and the other agents. You gonna talk me through this code breakin' thing, Don?"

There was the sound of doors slamming on the other end before Donatello answered.

"Yep. And please let us know where Leo's cell is," he added.

"We're goin' in," Slick announced.

* * *

The Chamber was bigger than he remembered. There were more doors, more locks, and surprisingly, more guards. Donatello had to talk Raphael through several different programs for a number of different locks. He could've just rewired the locks, but that would set off the alarms and no one wanted that. The Chamber didn't have its own security room, which was a pain because it would've been a lot easier. However, Raphael was more than capable of getting past the security system's firewalls.

"How are we doing for time, Raph?" Donatello asked as Brad took down another guard.

"Bishop shouldn't be back for another few hours. So, you have time to get Leo and cover your tracks," Raphael explained.

Brad motioned for Donatello and Slick to follow him.

"Leo's cell is located in the hall to your left," Raphael said. "I'll have the door unlocked and open for ya."

"Thanks, Raph," Donatello replied.

Raphael's eyes drifted up to the monitors for a quick second before going back to the laptop. However, he did a double take.

"Uh...Don?"

"Yeah, Raph?"

"Ya mind pickin' up the pace?" Raphael asked. He spun around when the door unlocked.

Donatello stopped running and pushed the earphone closer to his ear. "What was that?"

"We're in," Slick said, opening the last door.

"Raph?" Donatello asked as he heard the sound of chaotic movement.

Brad and Slick looked at each other then back to Donatello. O'Connell waved at them to go on.

"Get Leo," he told them.

Slick and Brad headed through the door and ran for the cell that held Leonardo. Donatello was about to speak when he heard an eerie voice on the other end.

"Did you have any trouble?"

"No, sir," he heard Raphael reply.

Donatello held his breath and covered his mouth. What was Bishop doing back so soon? Was the noise caused by Raphael trying to cover up what he had been doing? It was the only logical explanation.

"The other agents didn't give you any problems?" Bishop asked.

"No, sir. Not since the incident with Parker," Raphael answered.

"He needed to learn his place," Bishop told him. "You are dismissed."

Raphael bowed and headed for the door. His fingers were wrapped around the handle when Bishop spoke.

"One more thing, Raphael."

Pyro froze. "Yes, sir?"

Raphael turned around and saw Bishop take out an oddly shaped key.

"I want you to go to the Chamber and pay Summers a visit. If he gives you any trouble..." Bishop tossed the key at Raphael who caught it with one hand. "You know what to do."

"Yes, sir."

Raphael placed the key in his jacket pocket, opened the door and left the office. When he was safely in the elevator, Raphael reached behind his back and pulled out the laptop from underneath his shirt and jacket. He was glad Donatello had bought a smaller model.

"Raph? You still there?"

Raphael put the mic to his mouth. "Yeah, Donny. I'm here. But, we've hit a snag."

"I heard," Donatello said. "How are we supposed to get Leo out without Bishop seeing us?"

Raphael smiled. "Don't worry, Grease Monkey, I ain't as clumsy around computers as everyone thinks I am. Anyone who hangs around ya is bound to pick up a few tricks when it comes to sabotagin' supplies."

There was a short pause. "What did you do?" Donatello asked slowly.

"I found a nifty little program on your laptop that can re-program cameras."

"And you figured out how to work it?" Donatello asked, clearly amazed.

"Like I said, I ain't as clumsy around computersas everyone thinks I am. I can work a computer program, Donny. However, I don't have to use computers a whole lot because that's what you're for."

Donatello shook his head. "Right. Well, great job, Raph."

"See ya in a few minutes."

The friends hung up.

"On to phase two," Raphael muttered.

* * *

Leonardo woke up to the sound of the cell door being unlocked. He pretended to be asleep, knowing that it was probably Bishop. However, he was surprised when the visitor gently touched his shoulder.

"Leo?"

Leonardo instantly opened his eyes. Instead of Bishop, he was looking at his father. He was about to talk when he remembered he was still hooked up to the muzzel. Leonardo felt his eyes burn as tears threatened to overflow.

"It's okay, son. You're safe now," Brad whispered as he picked his son up.

Slick and Donatello were waiting for them out in the hall. When he saw the state Leonardo was in, Donatello almost went into doctor mode. Brad assured him that Leonardo was fine.

"We'd better get out of here before someone comes," Slick said.

At that moment footsteps echoed in the hall. Everyone froze.

"Well, this saves me the trouble."

The group breathed a sigh of relief as Raphael walked out of the shadows.

"What? Ya thought I was one of Bishop's flunkies?" he asked. He turned to leave again. "C'mon, before the real guards show up."

In a matter of minutes the group emerged into the sunshine. Donatello looked around.

"Where's April and Casey? I told them to wait for us."

"And I told 'em to head back to the city so that Bishop wouldn't get suspicious," Raphael explained. He unlocked his car. "Everybody get in."

Brad, Leonardo and Donatello climbed into the back while Slick got into the passenger's seat. Raphael started the car and drove off. After a while he reached into his jacket pocket and took out the key.

"Here, Donny, I think this is for the muzzel."

Donatello took the key and looked at it. He then turned to look at the muzzel. The mechanic gently touched Leonardo's shoulder.

"Leo, I'm going to have to use this, okay?" he asked softly, showing his friend the key. Leonardo seemed to try to move away from him. "Come on, Leo. I have to use it in order to get that muzzel off."

Leonardo shook his head and moaned. He tried to speak but it just sent pain shooting through his jaw.

"How much damage do you think that thing can cause in just one week?" Slick whispered to his brother.

"Knowin' Bishop, I'd say a lot," Raphael whispered back.

Soon, they had left the Waste Lands behind and were entering Speedway City. Somewhere in the back of his mind, Raphael knew that this had been too easy. However, he shook the feeling off. Easy or not, the important thing was they had Leonardo back. Raphael glanced in the rear-view mirror at the sleeping teen. He couldn't help but wonder which side of Leonardo did they have?

* * *

Let me know what you think.


	20. Surf's Up

Casey paced nervously around the living room. What was taking them so long? The kids had been reluctant to leave without their friend, but after Raphael spoke to them they agreed to leave. Casey looked at the others. Lyle, Natalia and Trek were watching a movie and April was reading. Every now and then, Lyle's eyes would drift to the clock. He would then sigh and continue watching the movie. Casey continued his pacing. He was getting nervous and he didn't like it. Getting nervous meant that something went wrong, and when that happened it usually meant that someone got caught. However, before he could have a nervous breakdown, there was a knock on the door.

"Yo, bonehead! Open the door!" Raphael yelled.

Casey bolted for the door and almost ripped it off its hinges. April and the three teens looked up. Brad and Raphael entered the apartment first, carrying an unconscious Leonardo between them. The three friends jumped up from the couch. Trek turned off the TV while Raphael and Brad laid Leonardo down on the sofa.

"What is that thing?" Natalia asked, staring at the muzzle.

"One of Bishop's new torture devices," Raphael told her standing up. He turned to Donatello. "Better do it now before he wakes up."

Donatello took out the key and walked over to the couch. He knelt down and carefully placed the key in the hole. As he turned it, Donatello kept his eyes on Leonardo's face for any signs of him waking up. When the key could no longer turn, O'Connell took it out and began the process of unbuckling the straps. He could feel the tension build from Casey and Raphael as they tried to keep their anger under control. Donatello peeled the leather away and began the delicate procedure of getting the metal out of Leonardo's mouth. However, his teeth were clenched tight, trapping the metal.

"Do you always have to be this difficult?" Donatello groaned. "Just this once, can't you co-operate?"

As if to answer him, Leonardo moaned. O'Connell took a deep breath. He took a hold of Leonardo's bottom jaw and slowly opened it. Summers jumped and slapped Donatello's hand away, but not before he got the muzzle completely off. Leonardo's eyes flickered open. Donatello smiled at him.

"Hey, Leo. Long time no see," he said.

Leonardo tried to speak, only to have excruciating pain shoot through his jaw. He let out a whimper of pain.

"Take it easy, kid," Raphael instructed.

Leonardo's eyes darted to Pyro. Tears filled his eyes and he tried to say something, but it just came out a muffled mess. Raphael leaned over and placed a hand on his shoulder.

"You're okay, now, kid. Bishop ain't gonna hurt ya again, I promise."

Leonardo slipped up the right sleeve of Pyro's jacket and looked at the tattoo on his arm. He looked up at Raphael again. He tried to tell him that he was sorry for ever doubting him. He hoped Raphael understood.

"I'm sorry, too, Leo," Raphael whispered, as if reading his mind. "I'm sorry that I got ya into this mess to begin with."

"It wasn't your fault, Raphie," Slick said.

Raphael looked over at his brother. A small, sad smile crossed his tired features. "It's been a while since I've heard that nickname. I kinda missed it."

Leonardo tightened his grip on Raphael's wrist. He was sure that he would slip into madness if he let go.

_Please, don't go, Raph,_ he silently begged. _Don't leave me alone._

Raphael wrapped his fingers around Leonardo's hand and gave it a little squeeze, as if assuring him that he wasn't going anywhere. Amber eyes looked down at brown, and for the first time in a long time, they held warmth and a brotherly love. Leonardo managed an awkward smile, ignoring the pain in his jaw. Raphael smiled back.

"What are you going to do now?" Natalia asked.

"Yeah. Won't Bishop get suspicious?" Lyle added.

"Bishop doesn't trust any of his agents," Raphael answered. "Especially me."

"And why should he?" Brad put in, crossing his arms.

Raphael and Slick frowned.

"What do you mean?" Slick asked.

Leonardo winced as he forced his mouth to work. "Y-you're...a...S-Summers," he choked.

Slick's eyes widened, in horror or surprise, no one knew. Raphael just stared at Leonardo as if he had slapped him.

"No talking, Leo," Donatello scowled. "Or do you want me to wire your jaw shut until it heals?"

Leonardo smiled apologetically. Finally, Raphael managed to find his voice.

"We're what?" he stammered.

"Raphael and Seth Summers," Brad declared. "I guess you've had to change your last name so many times you've forgotten what your real name was." He shifted from one foot to the other. "I don't blame you, really. Not even your mother knew your father's real last name."

"Why not?" Slick blurted out.

"Your father was in the undercover business," Brad explained. "And because of that he had to change his name a few times. When you keep changing names it's easy to forget the name you were given at birth, and that's why I joined the police force, so I could remind him from time to time which family he belonged to. That's what brothers are for, right?"

"So, that means..." Slick trailed off as he looked over at Leonardo. "I tried to punch out my own cousin?"

"Yep."

April walked over to Raphael, who was still staring at Leonardo. The younger of the two was now fast asleep.

"Raph? You okay?"

"I always wondered...I always wondered why I saw Leo as a second brother. Even when I thought he was an enemy, I couldn't shake the protective instinct I had towards him."

April smiled. "Well, now you know," she pointed out.

"Yeah," Raphael whispered as he continued to watch his cousin sleep.

Memories that seemed to belong in another life slowly played through his mind. He saw a new born baby sound asleep in a crib instead of an eighteen year old asleep on the couch. He always knew there had been reason why he was so overprotective of Leonardo. The past was still hidden in a thick fog, but no doubt the fog would clear and he would be able to remember everything again.

"Now, if only Mikey was here. The four brothers would be back together," April pointed out.

"We tried to get Mikey back, remember?" Donatello asked.

"It didn't go so well," Trek added.

Raphael carefully slipped his hand out of Leonardo's grip and pulled the sleeve down.

"Mikey isn't the same as he was a year ago. He's not as gullible as he once was, and he's not easily convinced. So, you're gonna have to come up with some pretty creative plan to make him believe that Leo's still alive."

Brad shook his head. "The fewer people who know Leo's alive, the better," he spoke up.

"But, Mr. S, that was the whole point of Leo coming here," Lyle voiced.

"Yeah. He wanted to come back so that he could tell his friends that he was alive," Trek added.

"We went about it all wrong last time. We'll think of a new plan," Natalia promised.

"Bishop's already started the hunt," Brad told them. The group stiffened. "Whatever you did to his monitoring system, Raphael, he didn't like it. You're on the top of his hit list, for more than sabotage. As for Donatello, April, Casey and the rest of us, we're wanted either dead or alive. So, no arguing. We're leaving as soon as possible."

He was about to leave but a moan from his son made him stop. The youngest Summers opened his eyes.

"N-no," Leonardo groaned, his voice raspy. "We're...we're not leaving...un-until we get Sp-Speedway back."

"Leo, you're not exactly in the best shape to fight," Donatello pointed out.

Leonardo smiled weakly. "Who said...anything about...fighting?" he asked. He looked up from Donatello to Raphael and the over to Slick. "It's time...we get our...our fifth brother back."

"Any ideas?" Casey asked.

Leonardo, Donatello, Raphael and Slick looked at each other, and at the same time smiled.

"Yeah," Pyro answered confidently. "We've got a plan."

* * *

The middle of the garage floor moved back as a platform lifted up. The blue, wave-painted Ferrari rose up like a Phoenix rising out ashes. The platform came to a stop, the *thud* echoing through the garage. Donatello went into engineer mode. Cracking his knuckles, he strapped on his tool belt and got to work. He spent the best past of the day modifying the car. He tweaked the engine, made the body of the car more aerodynamic without adding extra weight and he also upgraded the nitro boosters. He was fixing the underside of the car when his cell phone rang. Donatello slipped on a headset and pressed "talk".

"This is Donny," he answered.

"How's is comin'?" Raphael asked.

"I'm almost done. I just had to reconnect the nitro boosters and the car will be set," Donatello explained.

"That's why you're the best, Donny-boy."

Donatello smiled. It was good to hear Raphael say that again. In some ways, he had become the older brother Donatello wished he had.

"How much longer do ya think you'll be?" Raphael asked.

"A few more minutes," Donatello answered.

"Make sure you're at the beach soon. You're not gonna want to miss this," Raphael told him.

The line went dead as Pyro hung up. Donatello also hung up and quickly finished what he had been doing. He pushed himself out from underneath the car and got to his feet. Taking off the headset, Donatello picked up his cell phone, tossed the headset on the work table and ran to his car. Whatever was happening at the beach he didn't want to miss any of it.

* * *

Raphael took a sip of iced tea and watched as the waves gently rolled up onto the sand. Though races were forbidden, there were no rules against surfing. And, today was a perfect day for the sport. The beach was littered with people, most of them sunbathing. Those who weren't soaking up the sun were out in the water either swimming or surfing. And one surfer had caught Raphael's eye. He wasn't hard to miss. His dirty blonde hair was almost white in the sun, and he was the only one who was wearing a dark orange, tiger stripped wetsuit. Michelangelo wasn't called "Tiger" for nothing. Sure most racers had clothes with the same design as their cars, but there was just something about Michelangelo that stood out.

Raphael looked to the right when he heard labored breathing. Donatello ran up, panting and gasping for breath. He fell into a seat beside Raphael and ordered a glass of lemonade.

"Ya got here," Raphael said.

When the drink came, Donatello drank half of it in one gulp. "What was so important that I had to get here as soon as possible?" he asked.

Raphael pointed over to where Leonardo and his New York friends were hanging out. Trek and Lyle were in basic swimming trunks and Natalia wore a dark blue, one piece swimming suit. Leonardo, however, wore a wetsuit with the same design as his Ferrari.

"Leo's taking a big risk," Donatello pointed out.

"He'll be okay," Raphael assured him.

O'Connell nodded. "Of course, he will. He's your cousin, after all."

Meanwhile, Leonardo was waxing a surfboard that he had rented while the others tried to build a sandcastle. So far, they weren't having much luck.

"So, do you think this plan will work?" Natalia asked.

"And since when did you surf?" Lyle added.

"I learned how to surf from the best. Which also happens to be the very person I'm trying to convince that I'm alive," Leonardo explained.

He looked over his shoulder at where Michelangelo was sitting. He was sitting in a beach chair, a bandanna tied around his head, and reading a surfing magazine. Leonardo stood up, tucked the board under his arm and headed over to Michelangelo.

"Hey, Mikey."

Tiger looked up and groaned. "Not you, again. Don't you have anything better to do?" he asked, returning to the page he had been reading.

"This is starting off nicely," Donatello commented sarcastically.

"You kiddin'? It's just gettin' good," Raphael said.

"What do you say about a surf-off?" Leonardo asked.

Michelangelo looked again, his blue eyes sparkling with interest. "A surf-off? Between who?"

Leonardo rolled his eyes. "I thought it would be obvious," he said. "Between me and you."

Tiger burst out laughing. "You against me? Haha. You serious? C'mon, dude. No way."

"Why not?" Leonardo asked, glad to see that at Michelangelo's laugh hadn't changed.

"You're not the surfing type," Michelangelo pointed out.

Leonardo put his free hand on his hip. "And what makes you say that?"

"Trust me, dude, I've been surfing since I was six. My Dad taught surfing lessons back in Malibu. The people you see on boards all took my Dad's lessons." He turned a page in the magazine. "So, trust me, pal, I can tell when someone will be good at surfing or not."

"But, how do you know for sure? I mean, I could've taken surfing lessons," Leonardo pointed out.

Donatello took a sip of lemonade. "Is it just me, or is Mikey getting annoyed?" he asked.

"Things are gettin' interestin', now," Raphael said.

Michelangelo rubbed the bridge of his nose. "What will it take to make you leave me alone?"

"A surf-off. The first one to hit the water loses. You win, I'll leave you alone," Leonardo explained.

"And if you win?"

Leonardo's face grew serious. "You have to listen to what I have to say. No arguments."

Michelangelo stood up and held out his hand. "You're on."

Leonardo took Tiger's hand and the two shook hands. Raphael smiled as Donatello sighed. While everyone made their way on to the beach, Michelangelo and Leonardo made their way out into the water. Michelangelo couldn't help but notice that Leonardo matched his movements with expert precision. There was only one person he had taught, but that was over a year ago. Shaking his head, Michelangelo concentrated on the waves. As a large wave formed, the two surfers turned around and paddled back to land. However, when the wave caught their boards, they carefully stood up.

"Do you think this is going to work?" Natalia asked as Raphael and Donatello walked up.

"Don't worry," Raphael said. "Mikey taught Leo every trick he knows. Leo knows all of Mikey's secrets."

"So, this could take a while," Trek put in.

"Don't be so sure," Raphael said.

The New York friends turned back to the contest. It didn't look like either one of them was going to wipe out anytime soon. Suddenly, the waves shifted and Leonardo lost his balance. There were a few gasps and anxious moans. However, before Leonardo could fall off, his board slipped to the side, colliding with Michelangelo's. Leonardo fell on top of Michelangelo, sending them both into the water.

"What?" someone cried.

"What happened?" another demanded.

"Who won?" a few people wanted to know.

The surfers broke the surface and gasped for air. Michelangelo glared at Leonardo, who could only offer an apologetic smile.

"Don't blame me," he said. "Blame the waves."

Michelangelo climbed back on to his board and paddled back to the beach. Leonardo did the same, only with slower movements. Raphael and Donatello looked at each other and headed off to meet Leonardo. Trek, Lyle and Natalia followed. Michelangelo threw the board on to the sand and pulled off his bandanna. Leonardo cautiously walked up to him.

"Michelangelo? I'm sorry," he apologized. "I didn't mean to hit you, honest."

"There's only one guy I know of that's that clumsy around large bodies of water," Michelangelo said. "Even the Water Works had it in for him."

Leonardo swallowed before speaking. "Who was it?" he asked in a quiet voice.

"I didn't want to believe it, at first. I thought it was too good to be true."

"Mikey?"

Michelangelo turned around, his eyes glistened with tears. Leonardo held his breath, hoping beyond hope that Michelangelo was back.

"If ya really are...Wave...you'll know the names of the two voices."

Leonardo smiled. "How could I forget Toxis and Maddy? I was born with them."

Michelangelo's eyes widened and his face lit up with his trade mark smile. The next thing Leonardo knew he was being hugged to death by the Tiger.

"Mikey! I can't breathe!" Leonardo gasped.

He could hear the others laughing behind him. When Michelangelo released him, Leonardo turned around and glared at the newcomers. Raphael patted his cousin's shoulder.

"Nice wipe out, kid," he said.

"I feel like an idiot," Michelangelo confessed, looking away.

Donatello walked over and patted him on the back. "Don't be, Mikey. We all thought Leo was dead," he pointed out.

"Yeah, but I didn't want to believe that he really was alive the first time he told me," Michelangelo answered. He looked up. "Speaking of which, why do you sound like you're losing your voice?"

"I keep telling him that he shouldn't be talking. But, Mr. Stubborn always insists on breaking orders," Donatello scowled.

Leonardo shrugged. "After being tied to that muzzle I like the feel of talking," he explained.

"Bishop's new human muzzle?" Michelangelo exclaimed. The others nodded. He shivered. "Is it as bad as they say it is?"

"And then some," Leonardo told him.

A silence fell in which only the sounds of the other beach occupants could be heard. The sound of engines revving and the screaming of tires were suddenly missed. Leonardo dropped the board next to Michelangelo's on the sand.

"So, what happens now?" Michelangelo asked.

Raphael, Donatello and Leonardo all smiled.

"Now, we get Speedway back," Wave answered.

* * *

That was a bit longer than I would have wanted, but it's done now. As always, let me know what you think.


	21. Danger Rising

**A/N**: Sorry for the delay. I have been busy with another story. I hope you can forgive me.

**Disclaimer**: I don't own any characters relating to Turtles. I only own Trek, Natalia, Lyle, Tyra, Slick and any other OCs that make an appearance.

* * *

A heavy fog rolled in through the streets of Speedway, casting the city in an eerie, horror movie atmosphere. The only people out were the police officers, the vigilant "defenders" hired by Agent John Bishop. In truth they were no better than Bishop himself. Whereas the main land police fought to protect people, Bishop's cops wanted nothing more than to throw every single racer on the island into the Waste Lands Chamber. But, all that was going to change, tonight.

Posted at the corner of each major intersection was the infamous cars of the brothers. And in the less busy, but still patrolled streets were Trek, Lyle, Natalia and Casey. O'Connell had gifted them with their very own Speedway cars. And thanks to the clever engineering of Donatello, all the paint jobs resembled that of the police cars. Each car was given a specific number of cop cars to take out. By Donatello's calculations, they didn't have to take out every one. They just had to take out so many for the racers to take back control. There were more racers than cops, and every racing car had gone through Donatello's garage. They could out run anything.

The dark compartment of the tiger Elise lit up when the computer screen flickered to life. One of the assigned cop cars was approaching. The driver chuckled in anticipation and started his car. He kept the lights off as the target car drove by.

"Show time."

He slammed on the gas and shot out of hiding. The surface of the car rippled and the tiger sprang to life. The driver shot past the cop car.

"Catch me if you can!" he yelled through the open window.

The red and blue lights lit up and sirens blared. A different screen popped up on the computer screen in the Elise.

"Michelangelo Hall! Pull over this instant!" the driver of the police cruiser ordered.

"Yea-no," Michelangelo answered. "Later."

He picked up the pace.

"Hall!"

Michelangelo led them through the city. He turned into an alley and pressed on the horn once. When the police turned into the alley, Michelangelo triggered a trap. All the officers saw was the high beams from the Elise, then total darkness.

"One down, nine to go," Michelangelo said as he tied up the two unconscious officers.

* * *

Raphael was just finishing tying up the last of the target officers when his cell phone rang. He pulled it out, looked at the number and answered.

"Yeah?"

"Bishop is going to kill you, you do know that, right?"

"And hello to you, too, Tyra," Raphael said.

"What do you think you're doing?" Tyra demanded.

Raphael knocked one of the officers unconscious. "I think I'm returning the city back to the way it was before Bishop let loose his army of officers," he replied.

"I don't want to see you get hurt," Tyra said.

"You don't mean that," Raphael accused. "You're under strict orders from Bishop to keep an eye on me. That's the only reason why he agreed to our so called 'relationship'."

Tyra clenched her hand into a fist. "You were the best of the best, Raphael. You're throwing everything away, and for what? A past that can never be recovered?"

Raphael looked down at his right arm. The seal was unbreakable, he would always live with the memory of betraying his own family. He tightened his hand into a fist.

"The past may never be recovered, Tyra, but that doesn't mean the present and future has to be just as messed up," he said.

There was silence on the other line for a few moments before Tyra spoke.

"You're a fool."

The line went dead. Raphael slapped the phone shut and shoved it into his pocket.

"Good riddance," he muttered.

He closed the cell door and walked back to his car. On the way, he checked his watch. The others would be finishing up by now. As soon as the time hit two o'clock in the morning, Raphael's cell phone rang again. All he had to do was answer it. He already knew who it was.

"Phase two," Donatello announced.

* * *

The first thing Slick noticed was the lack of patrol cars. Granted, there were still a few cruisers around, but not as much as there used to be. Even though there were less police patrolling the city, no one dared to begin racing again. There was such a thing as traps. They could be hiding anywhere, waiting for someone to make the mistake of breaking the rules. Slick pulled into the parking lot of Donatello's garage. He got out, locked the door and headed inside. Donatello was almost invisible behind the hood of a large truck.

"Yo, Don-boy," Slick called.

Donatello's mess of light brown hair was the first thing to surface from the innards of the truck. He usually kept it neatly combed, however, now it looked like he hadn't combed it in days. His light brown eyes looked out from behind the veil he had for bangs.

"What can I do for you?" O'Connell asked.

"What have you guys been up to?" Slick inquired.

Donatello picked up a rag and wiped the oil off his hands. "What do you mean?"

"Playing dumb doesn't suit ya, Genius," Slick put in. "What happened to the cops?"

Donatello walked over to the door and locked it. He switched the sign to "closed" and pulled Slick into the back room.

"We're taking Speedway back," Donatello announced.

"Are you insane?" Slick hissed. "Do you know what Bishop will do to you if he finds out?"

"The key word being 'if'," Donatello noted. "I've done the math, Slick, trust me. We all have."

Slick clenched his hair and pulled. "You're all idiots," he said. "No way are you walking away from this one."

"So, you won't help us?" Donatello asked.

Slick's arms fell down at his sides. "I didn't say anything about not helping," he pointed out. "What do you want me to do?"

* * *

The sun shone brightly over the city. Once again, the beach was full of people. However, there were a few people still driving around. It seemed that the city was taunting the drivers with red lights. One boyfriend/girlfriend couple was getting frustrated.

"I hate red lights," the male driver said.

"So do I. And I'm not even driving," his girlfriend put in.

Just then, a jet black, lightning bolt painted Audi pulled up beside them. The driver revved the engine.

"What is he doing?" the girl asked.

The boy's face brightened into a smile. He also revved his car's engine. His girlfriend looked at him.

"You can't be serious," she said.

The light turned green and both cars shot forward. Slick felt the adrenaline shoot through his veins as he raced through the city. The driver of the other car wasn't bad.

"Where are the cops?" the girl asked.

"I don't know and I don't care," the boy replied as he pressed on the gas.

Slick chuckled and picked up the pace. It felt great to be racing again. They shot past the Watch Tower, alerting Bishop to what was happening. Bishop turned on the PA system.

"Tyra!" he yelled.

Seconds later, Tyra walked into the office.

"Yes, sir?" she asked.

"You were supposed to be keeping a close watch on Raphael," Bishop said.

"I was, sir," Tyra answered.

Bishop pressed a button and the monitor switched to a race between Raphael and one of his former students. Tyra swallowed hard. Bishop turned to face her.

"What has happened to my police force?" he demanded.

Tyra racked her brain for any lie that sounded believable. Finally, she just settled for a, "I don't know."

Bishop's eyes narrowed dangerously. "Find them," he ordered. "And when you do, tell them to hunt Raphael and his crew down. I do not care what happens to Bradley and his son's friends, but I want Raphael, Donatello, Leonardo and Michelangelo thrown in the Chamber."

"Understood, sir," Tyra replied.

* * *

Let me know what you think


	22. Another Victim

**A/N**: Thanks to everyone who has read and reviewed. Your reviews help a lot and have kept me writing. Though, I fear that this story is coming to an end soon. I don't know how many more chapters there will be, but I do know that it won't be long before this story will hit the "completed" stage.

**Disclaimer**: see chapter one

* * *

Speedway had returned to its former racing splendor faster than anyone could have imagined. As he watched his brother win yet another race, Raphael felt like a normal young adult. He watched as Slick got out of the car and did his ceremonial happy dance. Everyone who was around laughed, including Slick himself. Raphael shook his head and went into the Race Track bar. It was so different from Bishop's Bar, and for that he was grateful. He sat down at the long bar table and ordered a drink. When the drink came, Raphael paid the bar tender and began working on finishing the drink. After a while, he pulled off the bandanna he always wore and ran his fingers through his jet black hair. The white streak that ran down the middle of his hair caught the light and shimmered a silver-blue.

"Best...race...ever," Slick announced, dropping into a seat next to his older brother.

"Congrats, Slick," Raphael said.

Slick then noticed that his sibling wasn't wearing his bandanna. "You finally took that bandanna off," he noted.

"It's too warm in here for it," Raphael told him.

"You look better without it on," Slick commented. "Why do you wear it, anyway?"

Raphael looked down at the red cloth that lay in his lap. He began wearing it the first time he was forced to become an agent. It was to hide the odd coloration of his hair, which he refused to dye. The black and white was all natural, as far as he knew. He couldn't remember ever dying his hair, so it the most logical explanation was that something had happened to have changed his hair color or that he was born like it.

"I think we're finally getting to the remaining cops," Slick said. "I don't think they have the guts to take us on, anymore."

"Careful, kid. Don't get cocky. Bishop's still in charge, remember? So, until he goes down, Speedway ain't ever gonna be completely free."

Slick looked over at his brother for a quick second and then looked away and sighed. "I can dream, can't I?"

Raphael smiled and ruffled his baby brother's hair. "And it's a good dream," he encouraged. He finished the drink and stood up. "C'mon. I wanna see what you're _really_ made of."

An evil smirk crossed Slick's face. "Oh, you are so on," he said, getting to his feet.

The brothers made their way out of the bar just as the others were going in.

"Where are you heading off to?" Trek asked.

"Today's the day I whoop Raph's butt in racing," Slick declared.

"From what I've seen you're up against some pretty tough competition," Natalia said. "Raph isn't easy to beat."

"I second that," Lyle spoke up. "He put me to shame three days ago."

Everyone laughed. Raphael placed a hand of Lyle's shoulder.

"Ya put up a good fight, though. A bit more practice and I think you'll be able to beat anyone, includin' me."

"Ya think so?" Lyle asked.

Raphael nodded. "Trust me. I've trained almost every racer on this island. I know potential when I see it."

Slick grabbed his brother's arm and pulled him towards the cars. "C'mon, Raph, I wanna start this race and be back here before lunch. With me as the winner, of course."

The brothers climbed into their cars and drove off with a final wave to the remaining group. They headed inside, but not before Leonardo noticed an ominous police car follow the Vanquish and Audi. Slipping away from his father and friends, Leonardo hurried back to his Ferrari, climbed in and followed the police car. He was getting a bad feeling about this. The last time they were arrested, Raphael had been tortured and Leonardo had been shot. The last thing they needed was a repeat.

Leonardo pressed a couple of buttons on the computer screen and Raphael appeared.

"What's up, kid?" Pyro asked.

"Raph, you've got a cop car on your tail," Leonardo announced.

The screen split and Tyra appeared. "It's not just the cops," she said.

"Tyra?" Raphael and Leonardo exclaimed.

"I warned you something like this would happen, Raphael," Tyra said.

Raphael tightened his grip on the steering wheel. "So, what? You're gonna shoot me down and drag me back to Bishop?"

There was a gun shot and Slick's car spun out of control. The Audi crashed into a light pole with one of the back tires blown out. Then, the voice that haunted every racer's worst nightmares spoke.

"If threatening your cousin didn't work, then maybe threatening your little brother will."

"Bishop, no!" Raphael yelled.

"Slick! Get out of there!" Leonardo shouted.

In the Audi, Slick was just regaining his senses. The airbag had deflated and he could now see what was going on. He frowned when he found himself looking out the windshield at a light pole. The damaged computer screen flickered to life. Slick felt his heart skip a few beats when he met Bishop's cold eyes.

"You said you always wanted to become an agent," the man said. The Audi was suddenly surrounded by heavily armed agents. "This is your chance."

"Raph?"

The Vanquish sped towards the scene. "I'm comin', bro," Raphael called.

Leonardo also picked up the speed. He shot his gaze over the various buttons that lined the dash board. His fingers hovered over a couple of them.

"What do I do?"

He felt a hand grab his wrist. He looked in the rear view and came face to face with Maddy and Toxis. It had been months since he had last seen them.

"What do you think, bonehead?" Toxis asked.

The twins forced Leonardo's hand down, making his fingers hit the buttons. There was a dull thud as the front bumper fell down.

"What was that?" Leonardo asked.

Slick froze when the driver's side door was pulled open. One of the agents grabbed his arm and was about to pull him out when something hit him in the leg. He released the young man and grasped his bleeding leg.

"Since when was there a shot gun installed in the car?" Leonardo cried.

"That's not all," Donatello told him over the built in radio. "I thought something like this might happen, so I rigged your car with a few surprises. Normally, I would advise you to not push any buttons, but seeing is how this is Bishop and his agents we're talking about, push away."

"Works for me," Maddy and Toxis chimed in unison.

They directed Leonardo's hand over to another button and made him push it. The gun slid back into the bumper and allowed a spiral blade to come out. Leonardo pushed the button again and the blade was released. It spun like a boomerang towards Slick's car. Leonardo, Maddy and Toxis all shared the same wide-eyed expression.

"Oops," they said together.

Slick was jolted around when something slammed into the back of the car. The momentum of the impact caused the Audi to spin around, effectively knocking over a few of the agents. The pause gave Raphael enough time to get to the scene, get out of the car and finish the job that Leonardo had started. Meanwhile, Wave brought the Ferrari to a stop, put it in park and got out of the car.

"Wait!" Maddy shouted.

"Where are you going?" Toxis demanded.

"To help. What does it look like?" Leonardo asked.

He ran over to Raphael and helped him take out the remaining agents. Inside the car, Slick was trying hard to get out of the seat belt. In the distance he could see the others coming. Slick fought against the seat belt.

_I always knew these things would be the death of me,_ he thought.

A shadow fell over him. He swallowed hard and looked up. The haunting figure of Bishop stood over him. Bishop cut the seat belt and yanked Slick out of the car. The others were just pulling up when Slick hit the pavement.

"Slick!" Donatello cried.

Raphael spun around. His amber eyes blazed with rage. Donatello leaned inside his car, opened the glove box and pulled out two sais. He climbed back out.

"Raph! Catch!"

With expert precision, he threw the blades and Raphael caught the hilts. He spun the weapons as he charged forward. Leonardo heard something sail through the air. Ninja reflexes kicked in and he grabbed the hilts of the twin katanas as the flew by him. He then followed Raphael. Bishop motioned for Tyra to handle them. She bowed and ran to face the cousins. She crossed blades with Raphael first. Sparks flew as sais hit katanas.

* * *

Bishop pulled Slick to his feet and began dragging him towards the waiting police car. He stopped when a shuriken flew past his head. He then heard Michelangelo's battle cry and stepped to the side before the nunchucks could hit him. Donatello brought his bo staff down hard on Bishop's arm. Slick was once again dropped to the ground and he scrambled away. He ran over to where Brad was waiting.

"Why did you throw everything away, Raphael?" Tyra asked. She brought one of her swords up to block Leonardo's attack.

"I threw nothin' away," Raphael hissed. "I regained everythin' I lost."

Tyra glared at Leonardo, who returned the gesture. "What you 'regained' what an unstable relative who can't even remember his own past."

She pushed Leonardo away and managed to slice her blade across Raphael's right forearm. He winced and stumbled back, grasping his arm. He moved his hand away and almost laughed. The tattoo was bearly visible under the blood.

"Thanks, Tyra," Raphael said.

"For what?" Tyra asked.

Raphael pulled the bandanna out of his pocket and wrapped it around his arm. He blew his bangs out of his eyes and smirked. "For breakin' the seal," he said. "Bishop's a perfectionist. No agent goes around with a flawed tattoo. So, I thank you for cuttin' me and flawing the cursed flame I've had to carry for most of my life."

He charged again and Tyra bearly managed to get the swords up to block the sais. Seeing that his father was taking care of Slick and that Raphael was holding his own against Tyra, Leonardo went to help out Donatello and Michelangelo. He knew he wasn't going in alone. He could feel Toxis and Maddy right behind him.

"That super soldier serum never did fully flush out of your system, did it?" Toxis asked.

"Why do you ask?" Maddy asked the question Leonardo couldn't say.

Toxis smirked as his eyes turned from green to red. "Allow me," he said before vanishing.

Adrenaline shot through Leonardo's veins and he swung his swords at Bishop's head. The agent ducked and danced away from the racer. Donatello and Michelangelo caught their breath as Leonardo and Bishop battled it out.

"I've never seen Leo fight like that before," Michelangelo said.

"I have," Donatello put in. "He nearly killed me, remember?"

He spun the staff and joined the fight again. Michelangelo spun the nunchucks and also rejoined the brawl. Meanwhile, Slick was trying to make sense of what was going on. His mind was spinning.

"What was Bishop going to do?" he muttered.

"He was going to use you to get to Raphael," Brad explained. "I don't know who he wants dead the most."

Slick ran his fingers through his hair. "I guess he wants every member of the Summers family dead," he voiced.

"In some way, you're right," Brad agreed.

Leonardo, Donatello, Raphael and Michelangelo managed to back Bishop and Tyra up into a corner. They were all breathing heavily. Brad and Slick walked up. Brad was holding his old police hand gun.

"Your time has finally run out, John," he said, aiming the gun at his old police partner. "I can finally say, you're under arrest."

Bishop smirked. "I think not, Bradley."

All it took was one move and a gun went off. Everyone froze. Time seemed to stand still as all those present tried to understand what had just happened. Then, Bishop fell to the ground, motionless. Donatello was the first one to come back to his senses. He noticed Tyra staring at Raphael. The mechanic followed her gaze and found Raphael clutching his hand over his left side. His hand was coated in blood. His eyes slid closed and he collapsed to the ground before anyone could catch him.

"Raph!" Donatello screamed.

* * *

*evil chuckle* I'll leave you guys with that for now. ;)

(thinking) What to do? What to do? It's in your hands now. No flames, please.


	23. Home Coming

**A/N**: As fate would have it this is the last chapter for this story. I'm glad you all enjoyed it.

* * *

No one could remember getting from the battle ground to the hospital. It was all a blur. Slick, Leonardo and Michelangelo had all gone into shock and were currently being treated while everyone else sat in the waiting area. None of them spoke. April was on the verge of a nervous breakdown and Casey was trying calm her down. Trek, Lyle and Natalia tried to keep their minds off of what had happened by playing a game of cards. They had arrived on the scene seconds before Raphael had collapsed. Brad paced nervously around the waiting room. Every now and then, his eyes would drift to the door where his son and nephews had gone through.

_"Raphael, open your eyes," Brad desperately instructed._

_Raphael's eyes opened for a split second before closing again. Sirens could be heard in the distance. Every second that ticked by, Raphael's breathing became more labored and more shallow. Slick held his brother's hand in a death grip in an attempt to get him to wake up._

_"Raphie, don't leave," he begged. "I already lost Dad to Bishop, I don't want to lose you, too."_

_Glazed, amber eyes looked up at him and Raphael smiled weakly. "Sorry, Slick," he whispered. "Sorry."_

_The smile faded and his eyes closed again._

Everything after that was hazy. Brad ran his fingers through his hair. First his brother had been taken, then his son had been shot, and now his nephew was in surgery. Bishop really _did_ want the Summers family dead. Just then, a nurse came out and walked over to Brad.

"How are they?" Summers asked.

"Michelangelo, Leonardo and Slick will be fine. They have been treated for shock and are currently resting," the nurse explained.

"And Raphael?" Brad inquired.

The nurse was silent for a few moments. Then, she finally answered. "He is still in surgery. The surgeons are having a difficult time trying to stop the bleeding."

"I should've killed Bishop before he had the chance to pull the trigger," Brad muttered.

"If you wanted to see your son, you can go in, now," the nurse replied.

Brad smiled. "Thank you," he whispered.

The young woman smiled back and went to check on someone else who was waiting. Brad motioned for the others to follow him. The group got up and followed him into the room where Slick, Leonardo and Michelangelo were in. Lyle, Natalia and Trek instantly went over to Leonardo's bed. Donatello and April went over to Michelangelo and Brad and Casey made their way over to Slick. He had his face buried in his pillow and his body shook with sobs. Casey remember the last time he saw Slick like this. A year ago it had been Leonardo who had been on the receiving end of a bullet. Brad gently rubbed his nephew's back.

"You killed him, right?" Slick choaked. "Bishop's dead, isn't he?"

"Yeah," Brad answered. "Bishop's gone. In all my years of wielding a gun I have never missed a target. Not even Bishop can dodge a bullet."

Slick took a deep, shaky breath. "Good," he said.

"Slick, be careful," Brad warned. "It was this sort of attitude that sent Bishop downhill."

Slick looked up at his uncle, tears streaming down his face. "He tried to kill my brother," he spat.

"Key word _tried_," Brad pointed out. "Raph's as stubborn as a mule and as hard as a rock. He's been fighting Bishop every step of the way, and there's no doubt in my mind that he won't let Bishop win. Your brother will be fine." He looked over at Leonardo and couldn't help but smile. "He's a Summers, after all. We're a thick skinned bunch."

Slick managed to smile weakly and even chuckled. "Yeah. We are, aren't we?"

Brad patted the young man's back. He looked over at Donatello and Michelangelo. "Now, the problem is what's going to happen to the island with Bishop gone?" he asked.

"I'm sure the racers will be more than willing to take care of it," Casey put in. "For a lot of people, Speedway is their home."

"When we get back to the mainland I'll ask my old police friends if they'd mind lending a hand," Brad offered. "And, there's also the matter of getting some kids back to their parents." He turned back to Slick. "But, that can wait until Raph joins us."

* * *

News of Bishop's death spread to the mainland like wild fire. In the weeks following the shooting, Brad had returned to the mainland and had explained everything to the New York police department. From there, the media got a hold of it and soon the story swept across the remaining states. The racers who had been taken were returned to their families and were welcomed back with open arms. A new access way to and from Speedway was being planned under the supervision of Brad Summers who knew the island better than anyone next to Bishop and Raphael.

The island was going to be opened to anyone who wanted to street race, after all, that's what it had been built for. Where some couldn't wait to bring their friends to Speedway, others never wanted to set foot on the island again. Some lives had been ruined because it. And the O'Connell family was one of them. Catherine, Donatello's older sister, hadn't spoken a word since her brother had been taken. Her parents had given trying to get her to talk again. The only way Mr. O'Connell could cope with his son's absence, was by show casing the cars his son had built by himself. Donatello had always loved cars and when he was taken, his father locked away every vehicle he had made.

But, now, on a warm Las Vegas night, the O'Connell car dealership was swarming with people. Catherine and her mother were inside while Mr. O'Connell mingled with people outside. He didn't see fiveuniquely designed cars pull into the parking lot until someone pointed them out. O'Connell turned to see what the commotion was and then finally spotted the cars. One was a Vanquish, one was a Ferrari, one was an Audi, one was an Elise and the other was an EVO. He didn't recognize any of the cars. Someone got out of the Vanquish and looked around.

"Mr. O'Connell," the driver called.

O'Connell walked over to the man. "Can I help you?"

"Yes. Where is your wife and daughter? I have something to tell all three of you," the man explained.

O'Connell told one of the employees to go get his wife and Catherine. A few minutes later, they walked up.

"What's going on?" Mrs. O'Connell asked.

"It's been a while, Mrs. O'Connell," the man greeted.

"I know that voice," Donatello's mother said.

The man removed his sunglasses, revealing his amber eyes.

"You," O'Connell hissed. "You're the one who took Donny. Give my son back, Pyro!"

Raphael held up his hands. "Would you give me a chance to speak?" he asked. "I didn't come to bring hostilities. I came to apologize."

"Apologize? You took our son and held him against his will," Mrs. O'Connell barked.

Raphael looked around at the customers. They were all looking at him as if he were carrying a plague. He sighed and turned back to the family.

"I know, and I'm sorry. But, you realize I had no other choice. I was trying to save your lives."

"By taking Donny?" Mrs. O'Connell asked.

Raphael walked over to the EVO and hit the roof once. "I don't know if you've heard this or not, but Bishop is dead." A hush fell over the parking lot. "Of course, he nearly took some of us with him before he died," Raphael said, placing a hand over his left side.

The driver's side door of the EVO opened and someone climbed out. Catherine leaned to the side to try to see who it was. Her eyes widened when she saw a familiar mess of light brown hair. Her mouth opened and a sound that no one had heard in years came out.

"Donny!" she cried in delight.

Raphael stepped to the side and Donatello stepped forward. Catherine ran forward and threw her arms around her brother's neck. Leonardo, Michelangelo and Slick got out of their cars just in time to see the reunion.

Catherine looked over at Raphael with tears streaming down her face. "Thank you," she whispered, holding her baby brother close. "Thank you."

Mrs. O'Connell rushed over and also embraced Donatello. Mr. O'Connell was too shocked to know what to do.

"Everything is yours, sir," Raphael told him. "Your debt died with Bishop."

He was about to walk away when a hand wrapped around his arm. "I don't know how to thank you," he said.

"You don't have to," Raphael replied. "I'm just doing my job."

"No. You're different than you were when you first came," O'Connell noted. "I think something else died with Bishop. I think it has something to do with why your right arm is so badly scarred."

Raphael looked down at his right arm. The place where the tattoo had been was severely scarred. The back of his neck wasn't so bad, the doctors had been able to remove it without causing too much damage. Too bad his arm couldn't have escaped with the same fate. Someone tapped him on the shoulder. Raphael turned around to find Catherine standing behind him.

"Is there something I can...?"

He was cut off when Catherine threw her arms around him and pulled him into a tight hug. It took a while for Raphael to process what was happening. He couldn't remember the last time someone showed him any kind of affection.

"Thank you for bringing Donny back," Catherine said.

Raphael patted her back. "You're welcome," he replied.

Catherine pulled away and hurried back to her brother who was explaining to a group of customers about the Speedway cars.

"Why don't you stay for a while?" O'Connell asked.

Raphael shook his head. "I would love to. But, I still have to get someone else home," he explained, looking at Michelangelo.

O'Connell nodded in understanding. "Well, on your way back, make sure you come by for a visit. We would love to have you as a guest," he said, extending his hand.

Raphael took it and the two men shook hands. "It would be my pleasure."

* * *

Malibu was almost a perfect replica of Speedway beach. After parking the cars, Michelangelo led his friends down to where a large group of young people were gathered. In front of the group was a man that looked like an older version of Michelangelo.

"Are you sure this is a good idea?" Leonardo asked as Michelangelo handed him a surf board.

"The ocean's all ours, dude," the surfer answered. "Dad won't mind."

With a whoop he charged towards the water. Leonardo, Raphael and Slick glanced at each other, shrugged and followed Michelangelo into the water. Someone within the group noticed the stray surfers and immediately pointed them out. Mr. Hall turned around and saw the four young men paddle their way out into the waves. He narrowed his eyes as one of them stood up and began to ride the waves back to the beach.

"It can't be," he whispered.

"Cowabunga!" the surfer whooped.

Mr. Hall's eyes widened. "Mikey?"

The group slid on to the beach with the wave. Michelangelo bowed as the group his father had been teaching began to clap and cheer.

"Thank you. Thank you. You're too kind," he said.

"Mikey!"

Michelangelo looked up. "Hey, Dad."

The father embraced his son. Michelangelo wrapped his arms around his father. Slick, Raphael and Leonardo smiled. Mr. Hall looked up and locked gazes with Raphael.

"I knew you boys were still alive," he said.

"I can't apologize enough for putting your family through that nightmare," Raphael told him.

"Coming back was apology enough," Mr. Hall replied.

Raphael patted Michelangelo on the shoulder. "Well, see ya 'round, Tiger," he said.

Michelangelo turned around and wrapped his arms around Raphael's chest. "You'll come back to visit, right?" he asked.

Pyro rubbed his back. "Yeah. I'll come to visit."

Michelangelo let go and stepped back. His blue eyes sparkled with tears. But, they were no longer tears of pain or sorrow, but tears of joy. After what seemed like a lifetime away from his family, he was finally home. With a final farewell, Leonardo, Slick and Raphael made their way back to their cars.

"Well, guys, this is it," Raphael said.

"Indeed it is," Slick agreed.

Leonardo felt like he was going to burst with excess adrenaline. "Let's go home," he said.

The Vanquish, Audi and Ferrari pulled away from the beach and headed off back towards town. Next stop, New York City.

* * *

And, that's all she wrote.

Thanks for reading. Please review, but no flames.


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